Parental Responsibility
Where the parents are married to each other at the time of the child's birth, both acquire "Parental Responsibility". This sets out the rights, duties, obligations and responsibilities that both parents have under the law. Unmarried mothers automatically have Parental Responsibility whereas unmarried fathers may, depending on their individual circumstances. If the unmarried father does not automatically have Parental Responsibility, it will need to be acquired by a Court Order or a formal written agreement with the mother, which our family law solicitors can assist you with.