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Sharing as caring? Contact and residence disputes between between parents [2016] CFLQ 175
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Dr Annika Newnham Lecturer School of Law University of ReadingDr Maebh Harding Assistant Professor School of Law University of WarwickKeywords: Private children law - shared parenting - residence - contact - court-condoned time patternsThis article examines how five county courts promoted parental involvement in contact and residence disputes both in terms of the formal orders made and the time patters that were in place when the cases left court. This research is based on a sample of 174 parent versus parent cases in which a final order was made between February and August 2011. All five courts encouraged as much contact as possible in the circumstances of the case. The courts took a pragmatic approach to increasing contact time for non-resident parents which meant that the quality of care (good or bad) was rarely expressly discussed in the cases. A consistently cautious approach to transfers of sole residence was seen which contrasted with a lack of consensus on when shared residence orders should be made and for what purpose.
This article was published in Child and Family Law Quarterly
in... Read the full article here.
