Parental Responsibility

Parental responsibility consists of all the rights, duties, powers and responsibility which a parent of a child has in relation to the child and the child’s property. Married parents will both automatically acquire parental responsibility for their child upon their child’s birth.

However if you are a father but you are not married to your partner athen you may not have the right to make important decisions concerning your child’s  education, their choice of religion and all those important decisions that a parent has to make on a day to day basis in respect of a child in their care.

A parental responsibility order will give you the right to be kept informed and to make decisions about your child's education, health and welfare.

Our specialist team includes members of the Law Society’s Children Law Panel who have the knowledge and experience necessary to ensure that you are able to play a full part in making the decisions which will shape your child’s life.

Where possible we will seek your partners agreement to voluntarily put in place an appropriate parental responsibility agreement but where this is not possible we will conduct  any necessary court action in a professional, sympathetic and cost effective manner.

A parent’s civil partner or step parentcan seek parental responsibility in relation to their partner’s child.