Children

Parental responsibility

Parental responsibility may be acquired by an unmarried father:

1. •

   who marries the mother or, from 2 December 2019, enters into a civil partnership with the mother subsequent to the birth

2. •

   who enters into a parental responsibility agreement with the mother

3. •

   who, since 1 December 2003, becomes registered as the child’s father under one of the enactments specified in the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989)

4. •

   on an application to the court for a parental responsibility order

5. •

   who is appointed as guardian on the mother's death

6. •

   when the court makes a child arrangements order (CAO) in which he is named as the person with whom the child is to live—it must also make a separate parental responsibility order—see Practice Note: Child arrangements orders—residence—Effects of a child arrangements order that regulates with whom a child is to live

7. •

   when the court makes a CAO in which he is named as a person with whom the child is to spend time—note that the court may make a separate parental responsibility order—see Practice Note: Child arrangements orders—contact—Parental responsibility

On a father’s application