Unmarried fathers parental responsibility agreement

What is parental responsibility?

The Children (Jersey) Law 2002 says what parental responsibility is and who has it. If you have “parental responsibility” you have all the rights, duties, powers responsibility and authority, which, by law, the father of a legitimate child has in relation to the child and his property has for his or her child. There is no list set out in law. However, parental responsibility means the power to make important decisions in relation to a child’s life, for example, decisions about medical treatment, religious upbringing and which school a child should attend.

How can an unmarried father get parental responsibility?

• an unmarried father gains parental responsibility if he becomes registered as the child’s father from the 2nd December 2016 (this does not apply if the registration took place before the 2nd December 2016)

• a Parental Responsibility Agreement is made and filed with the Court

• by applying for a Court Order for parental responsibility

What is a Parental Responsibility Agreement?

It is a legal document in which a child’s mother and father (if they were not married when the child was born) agree that the father will have parental responsibility for the child in addition to the mother.

It must be drawn up and signed on the Parental Responsibility Agreement Form from the Judicial Greffe or download the form from the Children Forms and Applications section.

Before you enter into the Agreement try to get legal advice about what it will mean for you and the child’s other parent.

When you have filled in the Agreement you will have to sign it in the presence of a witness who should give his or her full name and address. You must then send the Parental Responsibility Agreement form to the Family Division, Judicial Greffe, Royal Court of Jersey. There is no court fee to pay. The Family Registrar will then register your Agreement and return a copy to you