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Parental rights and responsibilities are an important area of child law. As a parent you have certain rights over your child, up to a certain age, which include a right to decide where your child resides, to act as your child’s representative, to decide how your child is brought up and to maintain regular contact if your child is not living with you.
Being a parent also carries responsibilities towards your child as you must safeguard and promote your child’s health, development and welfare, as well as providing guidance at each stage of their development. You also have the duty to keep in touch with your child as they grow. These rights and responsibilities are there to protect the best interests of the child.
It is important to note that the new Family Law Scotland Act 2006 has made parental rights and responsibilities automatic for both mothers and fathers if they register the birth together. Prior to this, only mothers were guaranteed their rights and responsibilities on birth.
If you are an unmarried father who is seeking assistance in obtaining parental rights and responsibilities over your child or a qualifying relative, such as a grandparent or step-parent, Munro & Noble can assist when applying to the court for these rights to be granted.