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International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family Advance Access published online on March 6, 2007
International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, doi:10.1093/lawfam/ebl020
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International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, © The Author [2007]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

SUPERVISED, SUPPORTED AND INDIRECT CONTACT ORDERS: RESEARCH FINDINGS

Alison Perry* and Bernadette Rainey**

* Senior Lecturer in Law, Swansea University
** Lecturer, Cardiff Law School


  Abstract

Child contact with non-resident parents has become a key issue in family law and policy. Within the substantial and growing body of research into how legal systems deal with child contact disputes, there is little empirical data on the use courts make of orders for supervised, supported or indirect contact. This article presents empirical research findings focusing on the use of these sorts of contact orders in England and Wales. The research involved an examination of 343 court records, 60 follow-up interviews with parents and ten interviews with judges responsible for making the orders. Use of orders for supervised or supported contact was relatively common as a short-term measure, while orders for indirect contact were made only as a matter of last resort. On the basis of the post-court developments in contact within the families in the sample and the parents' largely negative experiences of the court system, we conclude that future policy developments ought to focus on finding alternatives to court, which would aim to provide assistance rather than adjudication to the families in dispute.


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This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Int J Law Policy FamilyHome page
L. Trinder and J. Kellett
Fairness, Efficiency and Effectiveness in Court-based Dispute Resolution Schemes in England
Int J Law Policy Family, December 1, 2007; 21(3): 323 - 340.
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