PRR

Parental responsibilities and rights (PRR) are the broad rights and duties in relation to a child.  The idea behind this is to show that the parent’s power to control a child is not for the benefit of the parent but for the child itself. 

The sorts of decision that might be made may relate to the child’s education, religion, medical care and on a day to day basis such as nutrition, recreation etc. If parents are married then both parents automatically have parental responsibilities and rights which are equal to each other. If the parents are unmarried at the time of birth then the father will have automatic parental responsibilities and rights if the father was jointly registered at the birth of the child post 4th of May 2006. 

If the child was born prior to this then he has no automatic parental responsibilities and rights. He can however apply to the court for a Parental Responsibilities and Rights Order or alternatively the parents could enter into an agreement specifying that the father does indeed have Parental Responsibilities and Rights and there is a specific form of agreement to complete.  If the father subsequently marries the child’s mother then he will also obtain Parental Responsibilities and Rights as well.