State laws and regulations vary with the geography of the region. But if we particularly talk about the UK, in most states the children have equal access to both the father and mother and it is the responsibility of both for the upbringing of a child and his needs. However, the rights of the father can vary depending upon the marital status of the father, or either his name is on the birth certificate of the children, or even whether the father has any parental responsibility or not. Here we shall briefly talk about the rights of a father in the UK particularly in case of separation from wife:
Rights of Father
In the law, even the rights of the father are not ignored. In short, the rights of an unmarried father are similar to the one married to the child’s mother. Let’s have a quick look at what rights does father possess according to the Law:
If a child's parents are not married when the child was born then generally the parental responsibility of a child is with the mother. However in certain conditions like when he obtains parental responsibility order from the court, or he gets an agreement from mother in terms of parental responsibility or only if the child is born after 2003 and the unmarried father has his name on the birth certificate of the child.
A father can also contact the court to get custody of the child. It then depends on the court whether the child gets the opportunity to either live with or spend time with the father.
A father also has the right to apply for joint custody order from the court.
He also has a right to take the custody charges from his mother in case there is any risk to the child's security and well-being. In this situation, he has to write an emergency application to the court.
The mother of the child has no right to prevent the father from seeing his child until or unless there are some special circumstances. For even that the father can file a petition in court.
A father has the equal right to choose a school for his children, religious upbringing, medical treatment option, holiday trips with family or non-family member, and also the name or change in name of his children.
In the case of an unmarried father whose name is not on the birth certificate of the child, he generally doesn't get all those legal rights. To get those, he has to acquire parental responsibility from the court through a proper procedure.
In the case of being a stepfather, you can only acquire rights on the child while you sign up for step-parent parental responsibility from the court.
How to Find the Right Legal Assistance
If you are still skeptical about your rights as a father and need someone who can guide you. You can always look for a family law solicitor in Levenshulme. A family solicitor can guide the best in this regard as he is a professional with all knowledge of legal matters. There are certain helpline numbers which can initiate your meeting with a family lawyer in your vicinity who will help you the best.