A broken marriage often creates not only an estranged spouse but estranged children as well.

A fathers' rights campaigner dressed as Batman stages a five-hour protest on the balcony at Buckingham Palace

For years, some separated fathers have been complaining about the way the legal system shapes their relationship with their children.

Protesters from Fathers 4 Justice have thrust the issue in front of the public and the politicians by getting Batman onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace and Spiderman on the top of the Millennium Wheel.

The government says its own concern about this issue pre-dates these stunts. In the summer, ministers sent out proposals to change the law for a consultation period which ends this week. They want to put more emphasis on mediation and less on expensive struggles in the courts, as well as introducing tougher punishment for parents who flout court orders.

A committee of MPs has also been collecting views on the way courts deal with family cases. Our reporter, Mandy Baker, examines what's likely to change and whether it will make anyone happier.

Click here to listen to Mandy Baker's report