Image source: Law Society Gazette Siún Hurley, chair of Law Society’s Family and Child Law Committee Pic: Cian Redmond
Nicola McCarthy and Claire O’Connor from Childhood Matters presented the Children’s Court Advocate Pilot Service at the Law Society’s Family and Child Law conference at Blackhall Place on 25 September 2026.
The conference looked at the voice of the child in family law, and how courts hear and weigh children’s views.
About the pilot
- Free for children aged 5 to 18 in the Waterford and Clonmel pilot area
- Starts with District Court applications on access, custody and guardianship, with a Circuit Court phase planned during the three-year pilot
- Funded by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and evaluated by the University of Limerick
- Advocates make sure the child’s views reach the decision maker. They do not carry out welfare assessments, investigate families, make recommendations or represent any party
- Consent from both parents or guardians is needed, unless a court order is in place
Find out more about the Children’s Court Advocate service.
Read the Law Society Gazette’s coverage of the conference.
