Residence and Contact Disputes in Court, vol ume 1

There is currently much concern over why the issue of contact with children after divorce or separation is so difficult for parents and for the legal system, and why disputes over contact seem so hard to resolve. There are also questions over whether court orders are effective as there is a lack of information on, and understanding of, the management of these conflicts. There has been a particular concern that disputes over contact have not diminished, notwithstanding the aim of the Children Act 1989 to reduce conflict between parents. The fact that this has not happened has led to questions about whether there is something more fundamental about these disputes between parents. The aim of this study was to bring some clarity into this picture so that as new policies develop they are based on a better understanding of the cases that come to court. The current Volume of the Report is based on the first two stages of the study, examining the cases that are brought to court and how these are processed by the courts. The second Volume will examine how well the outcomes of these court cases 'work' for the families involved.