Parents who repeatedly use their children as pawns in custody battles may be asked to pay a “good behaviour” bond to try to ensure they respect access orders.

The court-ordered payments, which could reach thousands of dollars, will be cash or bonds listed against assets, such as a house or car.

The decision to change the law to allow bonds to be used more widely follows increasing concerns that Family Court access orders are too often ignored or manipulated.

The provisions are included in the Care of Children Bill, which rewrites the Guardianship Act and should become law within a few months.