Why Punishing Parents for Breaking Court Orders is Crucial for Justice.
- PAPA
- Oct 25
- 6 min read
In the intricate world of family law, parental alienation stands out as a serious issue.
When one parent actively tries to damage the relationship between the child and the other parent, it can lead to severe emotional and financial hardships.
Family court orders are established to protect both parents' rights and children's well-being, yet many parents who disregard these orders face minimal consequences.
This article discusses why it is vital to penalise parents who frequently break family court orders, the repercussions of their actions, and potential solutions to this urgent problem.
If you are a parent currently going through family court, it is important that you join PAPA Plus and make use of our courses and other resources, including PAPA AI.
If you require direct assistance with your case, you can also book a call or support session with PAPA as a 'Plus' member.
The Current State of Family Court Orders
Family court orders aim to create a structure for co-parenting.
They ensure that both parents can maintain a bond with their children.
Unfortunately, the enforcement of these orders is often weak.
Research shows that just 0.3% of broken family court orders result in penalties.
This striking statistic highlights a serious flaw in the system, where alienating parents can violate the law without fear.
When parents break court orders without facing consequences, it weakens the legal framework and sends a troubling message: they can disregard the law without repercussions.
This leads to a culture of alienation, where one parent feels justified in manipulating the legal system while putting the child's well-being at risk.
The Mockery of the Family Court System
When parents engage in alienating tactics, they not only violate court orders; they also threaten the integrity of the family court system.
These orders are designed to prioritise the child's best interests and create a balanced upbringing.
However, when one parent repeatedly ignores these orders, it fosters a perception of family courts as ineffective.
This situation has serious implications. It can erode trust in the legal system, making it harder for parents to seek necessary support.
Furthermore, an alienating parent may feel validated in their harmful behaviours, escalating the child's separation from the other parent.
For instance, a recent survey found that 68% of alienated parents reported experiencing intense emotional distress due to the lack of enforcement.
Criminal Court vs. Family Court: A Discrepancy in Treatment
A fundamental difference exists between how criminal court and family court handle violations.
In criminal court, breaking the law leads to strict penalties like fines or jail time.
In contrast, family court often assigns minimal consequences for breaking orders.
This disparity raises critical questions.
If parents face accountability for criminal actions, why should family court violations be treated differently?
The lack of penalties does little to deter alienating behaviours and allows one parent to manipulate situations without fear of consequences.
The Impact of Lack of Punishment on Alienating Parents
The absence of penalties for violating family court orders drastically affects the behaviour of alienating parents.
Without consequences, these parents may feel emboldened to continue harmful behaviours.
This creates a cycle of alienation, where the parent becomes more entrenched in their actions.
Additionally, the absence of accountability can breed entitlement.
Parents may believe they can act without regard for the law or their children's welfare, leading to further violations.
This behaviour not only damages the alienated parent but also deeply affects the child caught in the turmoil, often leading to long-term emotional and psychological issues.
The Emotional and Financial Toll on the Alienated Parent
The fallout from an alienating parent breaking court orders extends far beyond legal issues.
The alienated parent often suffers deeply on emotional and financial levels.
Emotionally, they may feel helpless and frustrated while seeing their child drift away.
The struggle to enforce court orders can trigger anxiety and depression, making it hard to find relief.
Financially, the cost of fighting legal battles can be staggering.
Many alienated parents find themselves spending thousands on legal fees, court appearances, and related expenses just to uphold their rights.
This financial burden frequently compounds the emotional strain, creating a cycle that is tough to escape.
A staggering 75% of alienated parents reported that financial stress impacted their overall mental health.
Proposed Punishments for Broken Family Court Orders
To tackle parental alienation and enforce compliance with family court orders, it is essential to implement a system of consequences that can deter such behaviour.
Here are some potential measures to consider:
Fines: Introducing financial penalties for parents who violate court orders could serve as a strong deterrent. These fines could increase with the frequency and seriousness of the violations.
Mandatory Counselling: Parents found in violation of court orders might be required to attend counselling sessions focused on co-parenting and understanding the impact of their actions on their children.
Imprisonment: Parents who intentionally seek to destroy the other parent through means such as; false allegations and financial abuse via child support and alienation may deserve jail time. The damage caused by false allegations can be lifelong and so proportionate punishment is required.
Implementing these measures would send a strong message that violations of court orders will not be tolerated.
This approach could help create a fairer environment for parents and children alike, ultimately serving the child’s best interests.
Taking Steps Towards Change
The matter of parental alienation and the violation of family court orders is an urgent issue that demands prompt action.
The current lack of punishment for alienating parents not only undermines family court authority but also inflicts emotional and financial damage on the alienated parent.
Addressing violations of family court orders with the seriousness they warrant can pave the way for change.
It is essential to ensure that parents who break court orders face appropriate consequences, prioritising the well-being of the children caught in such disputes.
Creating a legal environment that supports healthy co-parenting relationships will benefit everyone involved.
The time to act is now, and we must advocate for a family court system that holds parents accountable for their actions.
In need of help or support?
If you are an alienated parent reading this article and feel you are in need of help and support then please make sure to join PAPA today by signing up here on our website.
This will give you access to our community support forum as well as our Resource Centre, which includes downloadable guides and on-demand courses to help through the process of being alienated and regaining contact with your children.
We also have our Facebook support group that you can join here.
Our Facebook support group has several dedicated chat rooms where you can get immediate support.
If you are a member of PAPA you can also send us a message here on the website and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible but please bear in mind, we have hundreds of messages weekly so it may take us a while to get back to you.
We are currently prioritising PAPA Plus members due to high demand.
Regardless of circumstance you are not alone and at PAPA we are here to support you.
Become a PAPA Ambassador
If you like our resources, articles and support networks and agree with what we stand for then why not get involved and help us push PAPA further by joining our Ambassador Program?
We would love for you to join us and help spread awareness for parental alienation and all of the dynamics involved so that we can continue to help parents and children towards a better future.
Our Ambassador Program allows you to grow your involvement with the cause by earning points on your membership.
To earn points we have created rewards for actions such as completing one of our courses, booking a case review, or ordering supply.
We will be adding new rewards and actions to our Ambassador Program as we continue to grow our awareness efforts.
We want our members to feel rewarded for their support as we continue to look for new ways to improve the lives of those impacted by parental alienation.
You can also become a PAPA Plus member, which will give you exclusive access to even more help and resources.
Each PAPA Plus membership makes a huge difference to the cause as it really helps us to improve our services and our awareness campaigns.
Proceeds from memberships and supply allow us to push the cause much further towards raising awareness and improving our services and resources so that we can continue to help more and more parents and children.
Thank you for reading and for your continued support of PAPA and our mission to end parental alienation.
And when the courts assist in parental alienation and support the lies because flaffcass 's report supported the "abused woman" with no evidence? Both Alienated children made exactly the same statement ? And their role model is the man who had an affair with theor mother for 2 years before she took the children away from a hard working family man ? What then?