Briefing: Parental responsibility in England and Wales
Parental responsibility is distinct from legal parentage and is defined by the Children Act 1989 as “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and [their] property”. The scope of parental responsibility is not defined in the children act but aspects of it have been acknowledged by the courts. This includes, for example, determining the child’s education and consenting to their medical treatment.
While each person with parental responsibility can generally make day-to-day decisions about the child independently, agreement is usually needed for important decisions. This briefing provides an overview of parental responsibility in England and Wales, including consideration of recent government reforms.
