It is highly encouraged for parents to reach an agreement out of court. If a dispute over child arrangements reaches the courtroom, and especially if the situation descends into a drawn-out court case, this can unsurprisingly be highly distressing to the children in question.
However, if the separating couple are unable to come to a decision out of court, the court can step in to settle the issue. Generally, the court is likely to give a parent the right to meet their children after a separation as long as this arrangement would not pose any risk of harm to the child.