President of the Family Division

The President of the Family Division is the head of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice in England and Wales and head of Family Justice. The Family Division was created in 1971 when Admiralty and contentious probate cases were removed from its predecessor, the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division.
The current president of the Family Division is Sir Andrew McFarlane. Sir James Munby retired as president on 27 July 2018.

Presidents of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division

1 November 1875: Sir James Hannen29 January 1891: Sir Charles Butt2 June 1892: Sir Francis Jeune30 January 1905: Sir Gorell Barnes10 February 1909: Sir John Bigham9 March 1910: Sir Samuel Evans18 October 1918: Sir William Pickford 31 October 1919: Sir Henry Duke 2 October 1933: Sir Boyd Merriman 8 February 1962: Sir Jocelyn Simon 20 April 1971: Sir George Baker

Presidents of the Family Division

1 October 1971: Sir George Baker 28 September 1979: Sir John Arnold11 January 1988: Sir Stephen Brown1 October 1999: Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss7 April 2005: Sir Mark Potter13 April 2010: Sir Nicholas Wall

11 January 2013: Sir James Munby
28 July 2018: Sir Andrew McFarlane

Legal significance

On someone dying intestate, the property of the deceased formerly legally vested in the president of the Family Division until the Probate Registry made a grant of grant of administration to the deceased's personal representatives. The property now vests in the Public Trustee until a grant is made.