« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Your Children Matter
If you've wondered about these things - then this booklet is for you! No - this is not another attempt to tell you how to be a parent! That's a personal matter. The purpose of this booklet is to give you INFORMATION about what the law says about parents and their children and some answers to the 'What if ...' questions which begin to come into your mind even before your child is born - 'What if one of us dies?', 'What if we don't stay together?', 'What if my child doesn't want to live with me?'.
so read on...
This booklet will tell you about:
1 Part one
Parents and Children
Parents and Children - Who are they?
Parents and children go together. They are linked in all sorts of ways - by where they live, by what they do together and by the feelings they have for each other.
But parents are also linked to their children legally. It's these legal links - and some of them may surprise you - which this booklet will help you to think about.
But - Let's start by thinking about what it means to be a child.
- Does the law say who is a child?
Well - Yes. But it's complicated!
First of all, a child is a person under 16 years of age for most things and under 18 for some other things.
Anyway, what it means to you to be a Mum or Dad is very personal and it's about the kind of person you are and the kinds
of people your children are.
- So what's it got to do with the law?
It may surprise you to learn that being someone's Mum or Dad is not always the important thing legally. When the law sets out rules about caring for children it is important to know who has parental responsibilities and parental rights for a child. That may still leave you puzzled. This booklet will tell you more. It will tell you about:
« Previous | Contents | Next »