Responsibility for children
Parental Responsibility confers the ability to make and be involved in decisions concerning a child or his property.
Parental Responsibility covers matters such as:
- care and control of the child to include where a child will live and how much time they will spend with other family members. This also encompasses day to day matters and routine
education, to include which school a child will attend - medical treatment
- religious upbringing
- when and in what manner the child might be guided, chastised or disciplined
- appointment of a Guardian. A person with parental responsibility can appoint a Guardian to take over the care and control of their child in the event of the death of all those with parental responsibility
Mothers and fathers (who are married to the mother), automatically have Parental Responsibility.
If you are an unmarried father you do not automatically have it but can acquire it in the following circumstances:
- by being named as the father on the birth certificate of a child born and registered after 1st December 2003
- by entering into a Parental Responsibility Agreement with the mother
- by order of the court
- by subsequent marriage to the mother
The Parental Responsibility Agreement is a prescribed form and must be correctly completed, signed and registered for it to be effective.
As an unmarried father, the court will grant you Parental Responsibility if you are committed to the child and can show a genuine attachment and the motivation behind the application.
Since 2005 it has been possible for step parents and civil partners of parents to obtain Parental Responsibility. This can only be acquired by agreement with the parents (but only those with Parental Responsibility) or by order of the court. Parental Responsibility will last until your child is 18 and will not end if that marriage or Civil Partnership comes to an end.
Family law solicitors
To arrange a discussion with a family law solicitor click here or call us on 0800 840 4929. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
