Coalition to press ahead with plans for fathers to share maternity leave Plans to require divorcing couples to operate "shared parenting" have also provoked opposition from legal experts. Last year an official review advised against the move, arguing that a similar move in Australia had opened the way to a landslide of legal claims heaping further delays on child custody cases. But ministers are determined to press ahead with the plan which will give both parents a legal right to spend enough time to develop a meaningful relationship with their sons or daughters. The only exceptions will be if it is thought that a child's well-being would be jeopardised by such a relationship. Last month a committee of Peers criticised plans the Education Secretary Michael Gove's plans to remove legal requirements for social workers to consider placing children with adoptive families from their own ethnic background. Mr Gove, who was himself adopted as a child, has repeatedly criticised social workers for seemingly allowing a fixation with finding the "perfect match" to stand in the way of identifying stable and loving homes for children. The committee chaired by Baroness Butler-Sloss, the former president of the High Court Family Division said they were not convinced that the current requirements were actively slowing adoptions down. The Baroness has also been an outspoken critic of shared parenting. Edward Timpson, the children's minister, is expected to argue that the measures will help every young person fulfil their potential regardless of their background.