ABSTRACT
Fathers who are, or were, married to the child's mother at the time of the child's birth share parental responsibility with the mother. The definition of parental responsibility in the Children Act 1989 refers to 'all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of the child has in relation to the child and his property'. Only fathers with parental responsibility are entitled to give or withhold consent to a child's adoption. The making of an adoption order in favour of a man, single or married, will give that man parental responsibility for the child. In complex family situations, the legal status of men connected with children, inside or outside the home, can be unclear. The Family Law Act 1996 Part IV came into force on 1 October 1997. It provides a unified framework for regulating the occupation of a home and for the protection of children and adults from domestic violence or molestation.
