It has been revealed this week that Louis Tomlinson from the band One Direction is to be a father following a brief relationship with an American stylist named Brianna Jungwirth.
It has since been reported that although both families are getting on there has been talk of lawyers becoming involved.
When people have a baby but are not in a relationship it is important to resolve a number of issues.
Firstly, parental responsibility. In this country if a father is registered as such on a child’s birth certificate then he automatically has parental responsibility regardless of his relationship to the child’s mother. Parental responsibility would give a father a right to be consulted about major decisions in his child’s life, for example regarding education and health.
Secondly, how much time the child will spend with each parent. Ideally the child will grow up having a relationship with both parents from birth. It is important to recognise that how this is achieved will inevitably change over time depending on the age of the child and what is right for a newborn is unlikely to be right for a toddler, school aged child or teenager. Therefore it is vital that separated parents work together to reach agreement.
Finally, maintenance. For separated parents who have an arrangement whereby the child spends more or all of his or her time with one parent the other parent would be required to make maintenance payments. Again ideally this is something best resolved privately between parents based on their own financial circumstances and the child’s needs.
If you are a separated parent and want advice as to the above issues and any others which may concern you then please contact us on 0161 429 7251 or email us at [email protected] for more information.