Understanding Section 7 Reports

The information in this article reflects the family-justice system in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different systems and different terminology. If you are outside England and Wales, seek local advice.

Nothing here is a substitute for legal advice from a qualified solicitor who knows your case.

Section 7 of the Children Act 1989 allows the court to ask a local authority or a CAFCASS officer (a Family Court Adviser) to write a report on the child’s circumstances, where the court is considering a question about a child’s upbringing.

The report helps the court understand the child’s situation and what arrangements may best meet the child’s welfare needs. The child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration.

A Section 7 report is usually prepared by a CAFCASS Family Court Adviser or a local-authority social worker, depending on which is directed by the court and what the case involves.

The person preparing the report is a professional whose role is to advise the court on the child’s welfare—not to take anyone’s side.

The court directs what the report should address. The questions are specific to the case and may cover the child’s needs, each parent’s capacity to meet those needs, and any welfare or safeguarding concerns.

The report answers the court’s questions, not the parents’ agendas. Engaging with the actual questions, rather than trying to steer the report towards your preferred outcome, is the constructive approach.

Where there are allegations of domestic abuse, the report may examine risk, the impact on the child, and what arrangements would keep the child and the non-abusing parent safe.

Be honest about your behaviour. Minimising or denying concerns that are real is likely to damage your credibility and does not serve your child. Where you have made changes, describe them honestly and let the evidence speak.

The report writer usually speaks with both parents and, depending on the child’s age and understanding, may speak with or observe the child. They may also contact professionals involved with the family, such as schools, health visitors or social workers.

Cooperate with these conversations. Answer honestly, listen to what is being asked, and do not try to control what the other parent or the child says.

The report writer may review relevant documents and carry out checks, including police and safeguarding checks. Provide documents you are asked for, and do not withhold or alter relevant information.

Concealing information, or presenting only what suits you, is likely to be noticed and to count against you. Honesty, even about difficult things, is the safer path.

Depending on the child’s age and understanding, the report may include the child’s wishes and feelings. These are considered alongside the child’s welfare needs—they are one factor, not the deciding factor on their own.

Do not try to influence what your child says to the report writer. Coaching a child, or putting pressure on them about what to say, is harmful and can be detected.

The report usually ends with recommendations to the court about arrangements for the child. These are professional recommendations, not a final decision. The court considers them alongside all the evidence.

You may disagree with a recommendation, and you can address that through the proper court process. Disagreeing respectfully and through the right channels is very different from attacking the report writer or ignoring the report.

You will usually have the chance to see the report before the hearing. Read it carefully. Note anything you agree with, anything you disagree with, and anything that is factually wrong.

Respond through the court process—through your solicitor or in your position statement—not by contacting the report writer directly to argue, or by confronting the other parent about what they said.

If the report contains a factual error—something that is simply wrong about dates, events or documents—you can correct it through the proper procedure, usually by raising it in your position statement or through your solicitor.

Distinguish a factual error from a difference of opinion. The report writer’s professional judgement is not an “error” just because you disagree with it. Reserve challenges for genuine factual mistakes.

The Section 7 report informs the court, but the court makes the final decision. The judge weighs the report alongside all the other evidence and decides what arrangements best meet the child’s welfare.

No report guarantees an outcome. Engaging honestly with the report gives the court the best chance of reaching a decision that is safe and right for your child.

If a Section 7 report has been ordered in your case, take advice from a qualified family solicitor. They can help you understand the process, prepare to participate, and respond to the report properly.

If you cannot afford a solicitor, check whether you qualify for legal aid, which may be available in cases involving domestic abuse or child protection.