Parental Responsibility - A Change in the Law

An important change has taken place from the 1 December 2003 in respect of Parental Responsibility, and the right to be responsible for your child!

• The law changed to make it easier for unmarried fathers to get equal parental responsibility: from 1 December 2003 - all you have to do is for both parents to register the birth of your baby together.
• Parental responsibility for your child gives you important legal rights as well as responsibilities.  Without it, you don't have the right to be involved in decisions such as where they live, their education, religion or medical treatment.  With parental responsibility, you are treated in law as the child's parent, and you take equal responsibility for bringing them up.
• Unlike mothers and married fathers, if you are not married to your baby's mother you do not automatically have parental responsibility for them.
• Before this change, you could only gain parental respobsibility by later marrying the child's mother, signing an official agreement with the mother or getting a court order.  You can still get responsibility in these ways - you might want to think about this if you have other children.

Need help to decide what to do?

Parentline Plus have a free helpline where you can talk through the options and ask for advice.  Call them on -0808 800 2222 or Textphone 0800 783 6783.