The sad truth is fathers rights & mothers rights don’t exist. We don’t really have “rights” to see our children. We have aright to a family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. That does not extend to seeing or having your child live with you.
When your ex partner takes the children it is then down to you to try and come to some arrangement in the best interests of the children. Sadly many people can’t do this as there is so much emotion involved, that is when a McKenzie Friend can help.
English Law does however recognise fathers & mothers rights. We have Parental Responsibilities, if we are on the birth certificate or have been given PR. If we have PR then we can make decisions over:
giving consent to medical treatment
choosing their school
deciding how they should be brought up
choosing their name
choosing their religion
In order to obtain fathers & mothers rights such as access or residency of our children we have to ask the court to decide this, under what is now known as a Child Arrangements Order.
These orders include what we think of as fathers & mothers rights. For example, detailing who the children will live with and who they will spend time with. They also detail the schedules of dates and times that gives us and our children more stability in the patterns of contact after a separation.
So while fathers rights & mothers rights don’t exist we can have a say over our children’s upbringing.
If you want help in knowing more about Child Arrangements Orders click here
To view the Family Procedure rules click here https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/family