Parental Responsibility

Parental responsibility is defined in Section 3 (1) of the Children Act 1989 as being “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by Law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property”. 

This is a very important role for any parent but can become a bone of contention once parents have separated.

Mothers obtain parental responsibility automatically by giving birth to the child. Fathers obtain parental responsibility by either being married to the mother of the child when he or she is born, or alternatively, if the parents are not married, by being registered as the father of the child on the birth certificate. Alternatively, fathers can make an application to Court for a Parental Responsibility Order.