In December 2012, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) received a total of 847 applications.

This is a 4.3% increase on December 2011 levels, though it is 11% down on November 2012 levels, likely due to the seasonal reduction in demand that occurs each December.

Cafcass represents children in family court cases, making sure that their voices are heard and that the decisions that are made about them are in their best interests.

The latest figures from Cafcass show that:

• Between April and December 2012 Cafcass received a total of 8,135 applications. This figure is 8% higher when compared to the same period last year.
• The 984 applications received in May 2012 and 989 applications received in July 2012 remain the highest ever recorded for single months.
• Applications received during all months bar June this financial year have been the highest ever recorded by Cafcass for these individual months.
• The comparatively lower demand in June 2012 is believed to be due to the lack of working days available due to the special bank holidays this year.