Children’s Court Advocate service presented at Law Society family law conference
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.
University of Limerick to evaluate our Children’s Court Advocate pilot
Image courtesy of the University of Limerick
The Children’s Court Advocate Pilot Service, delivered by Childhood Matters, will be independently evaluated by the University of Limerick.
The evaluation has been commissioned by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. It will be carried out by the Centre for Implementation Research (CIRcUL) in UL’s School of Law, led by Dr Laura Keyes.
What the pilot does
The pilot helps children and young people involved in private family law proceedings to understand the court process and to have their views heard. It is running in Clonmel and Waterford.
What the evaluation will look at
- How the service is put into practice
- The experiences of children, families and professionals who use it
- What helps the service work well
Find out more about the Children’s Court Advocate service.
Read the full announcement on the University of Limerick website.
