The Daily Mail reported on the growing trend of “Skype Dads”, fathers who only have contact with their children through electronic channels. The article looked at families where the one party has moved abroad with their child, leaving the other parent (usually the father) in England.
The Mail also considered the problem of parents failing to abide by court orders requiring them to facilitate contact. This, the paper suggests, is exacerbated with the decline in the availability of legal aid for family cases, which makes it far more costly to enforce orders.
Catherine commented to the paper “When one partner moves abroad, British courts lose jurisdiction of the case three months after it ends. So if conditions of contact aren’t fulfilled, the partner left behind has to go to a foreign court. Realistically, this is more likely to be the father. This is a reflection of the fact that, in the majority of cases, the mother is the main carer.”
Her comments the highlight the costs and difficulties faced by fathers facing this situation.
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