Peterborough office
48 Broadway, Peterborough Cambridgeshire, PE1 1YW
01733 346 333 01733 562 338 enquiries@hegarty.co.ukStamford office
10 Ironmonger Street, Stamford Lincolnshire, PE9 1PL
01780 752 066 01780 762 774 enquiries@hegarty.co.ukOakham office
66 South Street, Oakham Rutland, LE15 6BQ
01572 757 565 01572 720 555 enquiries@hegarty.co.ukMarket Deeping office
27a Market Place, Market Deeping, PE6 8EA
01778 230 120 01778 230 129 enquiries@hegarty.co.uk20 Mar 2020
Breach of a Child Arrangements Order (or a Contact Order as they used to be known) is a very serious matter and the person who has been denied the contact under the Order can apply for enforcement measures. Such measures include being ordered to undertake unpaid work and/or being ordered to pay financial compensation to the other parent. The Family Court will also take a very dim view in future Court proceedings of a parent who has breached a Court Order without very good reason. Parents will, therefore, be rightly concerned if they feel unable to comply with a Court Order. However, on an application for enforcement, the Court will consider whether or not the parent who is in breach of the Order had a ‘reasonable excuse’. Where a parent and/or child are genuinely self-isolating in accordance with the government guidance, this will undoubtedly be seen as a ‘reasonable excuse’. However, the Court would no doubt expect that the parent who was in breach should as far as possible accommodate any reasonable request from the other parent to make up the time they have missed out on. [panel_shortcode ]
If you are self isolating and need some advice, we offer an initial meeting to talk to one of our highly qualified solicitors for advice for just £150 + VAT. we can offer video and telephone calls, rather than face to face meetings.