Who has parental responsibility for my child?
Who has parental responsibility for my child?
The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including-
- Whether the parents are or have ever been married,
- Where in the UK the child’s birth was registered, and
- When the child was born
Parental responsibility checker
The below tool can be used to determine who has parental responsibility for your child. We will ask you a series of questions and then present you with the outcome depending on the answers you give. It should take no more than a minute to complete.
Please read this section in full before you submit your application.
Mothers
Throughout the United Kingdom mothers are automatically granted parental responsibility over their children at birth. Unless there is a court order in place removing that right, the child’s mother must consent to a child’s name being changed.
Fathers
Please go to the sub-section which applies to you:
For births registered in England and Wales
If the mother and father of a child were married at the time of the child’s birth, or at any time thereafter, the father has parental responsibility. Fathers who have not been married to their child’s mother are granted parental responsibility if the child’s birth was registered on or after the 1st of December 2003 and he is named on the birth certificate.
For births registered in Scotland
If the mother and father of a child were married at the point of conception, or at any time thereafter, the father has parental responsibility. Fathers who have not been married to their child’s mother are granted parental responsibility if the child’s birth was registered on or after the 4th of May 2006 and he is named on the birth certificate.
For births registered in Northern Ireland
If the mother and father of a child were married at the time of the child’s birth the father has parental responsibility. If the mother and father marry at any time after the child’s birth and the father is domiciled in Northern Ireland, he is granted parental responsibility. Fathers who have not been married to their child’s mother are granted parental responsibility if the child’s birth was registered on or after the 15th of April 2002 and he is named on the birth certificate.
Step parents
Step parents only acquire parental responsibility for their step child if-
- A court order is granted awarding parental responsibility,
- The step parent and parents enter into a court-registered agreement,
- A court grants a Residence Order in favour of the step parent,
- The step parent adopts the child, or
- The step parent is appointed as guardian of the child by a court
Adoptive parents
The people named on a child’s adoption certificate automatically acquire parental responsibility for the child and anyone who held parental responsibility for the child before adoption loses that right.
Articles in this section
The first step in legally changing a child’s name is to obtain consent from everyone with parental responsibility for the child. This means that you should have a letter
What is parental responsibility?
Parental responsibility is the legal term used to describe the collective rights and duties a parent has in relation to their child. It is defined under Section 3 of the Children Act
Who has parental responsibility for my child?
The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including-
Can I change my child’s name without full parental consent?
As a rule you must have permission from everyone that has parental responsibility for a child in order to legally change the child’s
Can a birth certificate be updated?
As a general rule you can not get the name on a child’s birth certificate changed because a birth certificate is considered a historical document, not proof of identity, and therefore
Letters of consent examples and templates
Once you have executed a deed poll on your child’s behalf you must inform everyone
Need additional help or advice?
If you have any questions about changing a child’s name we can offer free help and advice. Just call 020 8150 2010, send an e-mail to enquiries@deedpolls.com.