The Adoption and Children Act 2002 sought to address issues of contact in recognition of the fact children were much older at adoption than had previously been the case, and therefore were more likely to have established links to their birth families. Sections 26 and 27 of the Act place a duty on the court to consider contact arrangements for birth families and their children when making a placement order; section 46 (6) comprises a duty to consider such arrangements when an adoption order is made. The intention is for contact arrangements to be agreed by the parties. If agreement is not possible, an application can be made to the court for a contact order; it is unusual for the court to make such an order, especially against the wishes of adoptive parents.