When you've split up with your ex it's important to know what your rights and responsibilities are regarding your children. The most important thing is to determine whether or not you have parental responsibility for your children. In the case of married couples, you're responsible for any children born in wedlock.
Unmarried Couples
In general terms, an unmarried mother is deemed to have "parental responsibility" for her children. For births registered in England or Wales; as a father you have parental responsibility if:
- The child's birth was registered after December 1st, 2003 and your name is on the certificate as the father.
- If the child was born before that time with no father listed on the birth certificate, but the birth was later re-registered with you named as the father.
- If you and the child's mother sign a Parental Responsibility Agreement.
- If you're given a parental responsibility order by the court, or a Residence Order for the child to live with you.
- If you marry the child's mother.
If the parents are not married, parental responsibility does not automatically pass to the natural father if the mother dies.
Same Sex Couples
With same sex couples, after a civil partnership, you have parental responsibility if you have a parental responsibility agreement or a parental responsibility order from the court.
What Parental Responsibility Means for your Rights as a Dad
However, this doesn't apply to the general, day-to-day life of your children; that will lie with the mother if they live with her. But in other questions, such as religion, upbringing, medical treatment and so on, you have the same rights in making decisions as the mother.
So what rights does parental responsibility give you?
Important Decisions - we've already mentioned that decisions on everyday matters lie with the parent who has residency. But if you have parental responsibility, even as the non-resident parent - you have the right to be consulted over important issues such as:
- Changing schools
- Going on holidays with others/other organisations etc
- Serious medical issues
- Changing surname
- Emigration
- Their marriage
- Adoption
Once your child gets older, he or she may express their opinions and you may feel that your parental responsibility rights are reduced. At this stage, it is therefore important to consider the wishes of the child in major decisions too. For more details on parental responsibility, take a look at our guide and letter templates.
Rights Checker
Check what legal rights you have as a separated father. Takes 2 minutes.
Try our Rights Checker free, here on this site →If you feel your rights are being ignored and you have parental responsibility, you can apply for a specific steps order or a specific issue order. More information about those can be found here:
Specific Issue Orders.
Applying to the Courts
As a father you can apply to the court for parental responsibility. The court will consider:
- How committed you are as a father
- The attachment between you and your child
- Your reasons for applying for the order
Based on what the judge believes to be in the child's best interests they will either accept or grant your application for parental responsibility.
If you've been part of a couple where the children are yours and you don't have parental responsibility, you can still apply to court for certain types of orders, mostly Contact Orders to see the children, but even for a Residence Order to have the children live with you (if granted, you'll then have parental responsibility).
Note that if your former partner has a Residence Order, she can take your children abroad for up to a month without your consent. However, if the trip is longer, or she plans on moving abroad with the children, she will need the consent of both you and anyone else who has parental responsibility for the children. However, if you wish to take your children abroad for a holiday, it's a tougher issue, and legally you're advised to have her agreement first. (Taking a child abroad without the mother's consent can be deemed as abduction in the eyes of the law. Read our article What is Abduction? for more information).
Child Maintenance
Parental responsibility also means you have the duty to support your children financially. If you already have a case ongoing this will probably be done either through the Child Support Agency (CSA) or by an arranged agreement between you and the child's mother. In general terms, you'll pay 15% of your net income for one child, 20% for two and 25% for three children. However, there are adjustments, depending on how much time the children spend with you. If you move abroad, support will be done through the court rather than the CSA. Note that from 25 November 2013, the Child Support Agency (CSA) no longer takes on new cases but will continue to deal with existing cases. The new body handling maintenance issues is the Child Maintenance Service.
When Does Parental Responsibility End?
Your parental responsibility to your children ends when they turn 18 and become legal adults. However, if they're over 16 and marry, it ends with the marriage. If you've obtained parental responsibility through a Residence Order, though, and that Residence Order changes, you don't lose parental responsibility.
You should be aware that if you weren't married to the mother of your children, you're on slightly trickier ground, even if you have your name on the birth certificate or a parental responsibility agreement or order. In that case, any other person with parental responsibility can apply to court to have your parental responsibility ended. Even your children can do that, if they acquire permission from the court.
Court
To help prepare you for going to court for residency or contact, we have a free, comprehensive guide to the whole process here.
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