There has been a sharp rise in the number of fathers demanding more access to their children in divorce cases, according 
to new UK figures.
The increase comes in the wake of moves by the UK government to introduce shared parenting into law, the Daily Telegraph reports.
A second reason offered by experts for the increase is the effect of the recession on people’s relationships.
There were 27,204 children involved in family court cases in England in the second quarter of 2012, according to figures published by the Ministry for Justice, which represents a 14pc rise over the same period in 2011.
There was also a three percent rise in the number of divorce applications from first quarter in 2012.
Christina Blacklaws, a prominent family lawyer, told The Daily Telegraph that the rise in the number of children becoming involved in divorce cases was very disappointing.
She said it was hard to speculate as to what the reason might be.
She said: “You could say that there is a greater awareness in terms of fathers’ campaigns and fathers know that they can apply to court. There are a number of successful cases that have been quite widely publicised.
“I would say more likely it is [a symptom] of the pressure that people are under at the moment in society.
“When you’ve got financial pressure, that makes everything else more difficult.
“The reason why arrangements fall apart for children is often because the relationship between the parents falls apart, whether they are living apart or already separated.”