Does It Matter If My Name Is On My Child’s Birth Certificate?
From a legal perspective, it can do, Yes…
If you and your fellow co-parent were not married or in a civil partnership at the time of your child’s birth, then you will not have Parental Responsibility (often referred to as ‘PR’) automatically under the law (unlike the birth mother who will). This often comes as quite a shock.
However, if you were registered as the father or parent on the child’s birth certificate, then you will have PR.
Most parents have no idea what PR is (and rarely need to know on a day to day basis). But if you separate and don’t have PR, it can start to matter. The good news is, even if you don’t have PR there are steps you can take to acquire it.
For many parents, whether living together or separated, the fact of having PR plays no part in the way they raise their children. However, if co-parents disagree about their child’s upbringing, whether they have PR or not will start to matter.
Those without PR won’t be legally entitled by themselves to authorise important decisions relating to their child, including serious medical treatments.
There are different ways to acquire PR if you don’t have it, including entering into a legal agreement with the birth mother, or by court order. It’s not a legal term or concept which many people know much about, so if you’d like to explore the law in more detail, we have an online course dedicated to all things PR which you can find on our website in the online courses section or here.
If you have more questions about this topic or any other legal issues arising on divorce or separation, please do get in touch as we are always happy to help. You can call us on 0203 488 4475 or email contact@thedivorcesurgery.co.
Related Reading
- Amicable Divorce UK Q&A
- What Is The Biggest Mistake You Can Make On Divorce?
- What Is No-Fault Divorce In The UK
- The Positive Effects Of Divorce
- Do You Need Legal Advice On Divorce?
Author Name: Editor
Published content by The Divorce Surgery Editorial Team.
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