Grants Guide to Children and the Law

Parental Responsibility - click here for further information

What is it?

Parental responsibility is defined as all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which, by law, a parent has in relation to his child and his property.

What it is not is a licence for those with it to interfere unreasonably with a childs upbringing. It is designed to relate to important decisions, such as what school a child should go to, or what religion the child is brought up as. If there is a dispute on some such important aspect, a person with parental responsibility has the standing to approach the court and ask it to adjudicate.

Guide To The Children Act - click here for further information

What can the court do?

There are many different court orders that can relate to children. This guide seeks only to deal with the main orders that people in disputes over children are likely to come across in the course of court proceedings. Technically, they are known as section 8 orders, after the part of the Children Act that enables the court to make them.