Why are family courts issuing 75% fewer enforcement orders when broken families need them most? While the government celebrates record January tax surplus, Ministry of Justice data reveals a collapse in one of the most basic functions of family justice.

Recovery orders, the legal mechanism courts use to enforce child contact arrangements when one parent refuses to comply, dropped from 198 cases in early 2023 to just 49 cases by the end of the year. That's a staggering 75.3% fall in enforcement activity.

This isn't about fewer problems. Divorce rates remain stable, and separated parents still struggle with contact arrangements. The collapse suggests something more troubling: courts are either overwhelmed, under-resourced, or parents have simply given up seeking legal enforcement.

Recovery orders matter because they're the last resort for desperate parents. When mediation fails and one parent consistently blocks contact, these orders give courts power to physically recover children and ensure contact happens. They're rarely used because the threat alone usually works.

But when that threat disappears, the entire system of family law becomes toothless. Parents who ignore court orders face no consequences. Children miss out on relationships with both parents. The rule of law breaks down in Britain's most personal disputes.

The timing couldn't be worse. Cost-of-living pressures are straining families, making custody disputes more bitter and enforcement more crucial. Yet while the Treasury collects record tax receipts, the family courts that ordinary families depend on are failing to function.

This collapse didn't happen overnight. The 198 cases recorded in early 2023 were already low by historical standards. But the drop to 49 represents a system in freefall, where legal orders carry no weight and parental alienation goes unchecked.

Every missing enforcement order represents a family in crisis, a child denied contact with a parent, and a court system that's abandoned its basic duty to uphold its own orders. While ministers celebrate budget surpluses, the machinery of family justice is quietly grinding to a halt.

(Source: Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics -- Family_Court_Tables__Jul-Sep_2024_ -- Table_4)