Government pushes Parenting Agreements but they can’t be enforced by courts

They won’t be worth the paper they are written on, but the Government has announced that it will be pushing the Parenting Agreement as a way of keeping families out of court.

Parenting Agreements cannot be enforced by the courts in the way a court order can be.

They can be brought to the court’s attention in future proceedings.

An agreement between parents may include what times and days children will spend between their parents, school holiday arrangements and particular rules which should apply consistently in both homes – such as bedtimes.

Law Society Chief Executive Desmond Hudson said: “These mechanisms are necessary, but not sufficient. The minority of cases which do go to court are often unsuitable for mediation or negotiation. Cuts in legal aid will mean that more and more of the couples who do go to court will have to represent themselves, without any understanding of the process or with unrealistic expectations about the outcome, inevitably leading to further delay and frustration with the process.”

Guides for parents are available from www.cafcass.gov.uk