Parental responsibility refers to the legal rights, duties, and authority that parents have over their children. It includes the responsibility to provide, amongst other things, a safe environment, financial support, make education decisions and give medical treatment consent.

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Parental responsibility typically ends when a child turns 18 (or if the child gets married between 16 and 18), or through an adoption order overriding birth parents' responsibility.

Who has Parental Responsibility?

•      Birth mothers and biological fathers married to or in a civil partnership with the mother at the child's birth (or after the child’s birth) automatically acquire parental responsibility.

•      Unmarried Parents named on a birth certificate

•      Parents who enter into a parental responsibility agreement

•      Those who acquire this by a court order

Difficulties can arise when those who have parental responsibility cannot agree on the decisions for a child.  In that situation, if no agreement can be reached a court application may need to be made where a Judge will then have to make the decision, overriding the Parental Responsibility. Another option to court is arbitration.

The decisions that Parental Responsibility impacts can be fundamental to health, location, safety and education of a child. Discussing the decisions with the other parent who has parental responsibility can be fundamental to avoiding conflict and litigation.  

If you would like to know how mediation can help you reach parental decisions together so that conflict cab be avoided, contact us hello@familymandm.co.uk or book a free call through our website.

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