Separated Fathers – Rights and Responsibilities

Separated fathers can often be made to feel that their role in a child’s life is not as important as the mother’s.  Perhaps it seems you are only needed to provide financial assistance and to fall in line with ‘babysitting duties’ as mum sees fit.  Your views and input are either side-lined or ignored completely. But, if you’re a father with Parental Responsibility (PR) – this means you were named on the child’s birth certificate or you were married to the mother* –  then you have a legal right to be involved in the decisions that affect your child.  If you don’t have PR, we can help you to negotiate a Parental Responsibility Agreement with the mother or, if necessary, to make an application to the Court. We understand the frustration a father feels when he his continually marginalised by the mother and can help to recognise cases of Parental Alienation or Implacable Hostility.  This is where the mother is using her influence over the child to damage the relationship they have with you.  In these cases the child will express what they think are their own wishes and feelings, when in fact they have been unknowingly manipulated by the mother. The Courts are catching up with public opinion and the presumption is that children should have a relationship with both parents, providing it is in the best interests of the child. This is where it is vital you have the advice and support of a great legal team to ensure the appropriate evidence is obtained and your case is properly presented. It pays to get the right advice early on.