Withy King welcomes greater access rights for divorced parents and grandparents

Withy King’s Family team has today welcomed Government plans to strengthen the rights of contact to children for separating and divorced couples.

In its response to the Family Justice Review, chaired by David Norgrove, the Government will today outline plans to enshrine in law for the first time a right for separated parents, often fathers, to remain in contact with their children. Currently, one in three children in the UK lives without their father.

The Government has also recognised the crucial role of grandparents post-separation as the new guidelines to separating couples will highlight the need for parenting and contact agreements to include both sets of grandparents.

Mark Phillips, partner in Withy King’s Family team, said: “This is a great result. It is an extremely positive step forward and has the potential to improve the lives of a great number of children living in the UK.

“While it has been suggested that allowing divorced fathers greater access rights to their children could prove dangerous, I don’t believe the new guidelines go quite so far. The changes fall short of promoting shared or equal parenting, instead strengthening the rights of parents to see their children post separation.”