Each year there are approximately 67000 applications made to the family courts.  Thirty per cent of these are for enforcement orders.  Where court orders are made for contact, the courts and where involved, Cafcass will already have determined that it is safe for contact to take place, so, there is no question that contact has been denied for a good reason.  Indeed, any one familiar with the family courts will verify, that court orders are worthless. 

Any non-resident parent who has lost contact where a court order is in place, will tell you that apparently, there is a rule that it is not in the best interests of the child to punish or fine the resident parent who breaches a court order.  Fair enough!

Now, and a big now - if that same resident parent went through a red light or drove her car over the speed limit, or if she never paid her TV licence - all the courts and each judge would tell that resident parent, that she had acted inappropriately and fine her immediately.  It would not be a reasonable argument or defense, to say, 'but I am a resident parent and it will not be in my child's best interest to fine me'.  No court would buy in to that argument.   Oops, the family court would. 

Clearly, the courts know how to respond towards speeding, going through a red light or non payment of a TV licence.  What does that say about the value of a father?

Perhaps, if the courts began taking a more robust step against resident parents who breached court orders, then the number of applications for enforcement orders would fall.