Family Law Experts in Obtaining Parental Responsibility

Parental responsibility is defined as ‘all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which, by law, a parent of a child has in relation to the child and their property.’

A mother automatically has parental responsibility. A father married to that child’s mother will also automatically acquire parental responsibility. From 1 December 2003, unmarried fathers of children whose birth was registered on or after that date also automatically acquire parental responsibility, so long as they are named as the child’s father on the birth certificate.

A parent with parental responsibility has a say in the important decisions relating to the children’s upbringing, such as giving consent to medical treatment, the children being taken out of the country, or determining which school they should attend.

Other adults with care, or step-parents, can also acquire parental responsibility.

We can advise and assist our clients in obtaining parental responsibility, either by way of agreement or, if necessary, through court proceedings.