During the holiday season between Christmas and New Year’s, there is an increase in the number of inquiries received about how to relieve another parent of their parenting responsibilities. According to the statistics, women are more likely to inquire about how to absolve a man of parenting responsibilities. AM Mediators Doncaster.
Why do we witness an increase in requests to waive parental responsibilities during the holiday season, and is this even possible?
In England and Wales, the ability to terminate parental responsibility rests solely in the hands of the courts. On the other hand, the termination of parental rights is only ever done in very exceptional cases. That in no way negates the possibility of it happening. For instance, if the well-being of a kid is in jeopardy, then the likelihood of you being able to absolve the other parent of their parenting responsibilities is significantly increased.
Why do we see an increase in questions around the holiday season?
During the holiday season, difficult family dynamics frequently come to the surface. More than fifty percent of children who are born in the modern era are not likely to be living with both of their parents by the time they reach the age of 15, according to a report that was published in The Guardian in 2017. The report highlighted that the United Kingdom was suffering from a “crisis of fatherlessness.” https://ammediators.co.uk/mediation-services-swindon-best-mediators-in-uk/
In the year 2022, there has not been a significant reduction in the number of fatherless children in the UK. The increase in petitions to have parental responsibilities removed may be directly attributed to the rising percentage of dads who are alienated from their children.
Online users search for “how to remove parental duty from Father UK” about 500 times every single month, with that number often tripling in December. In most cases, a child’s parental rights are only terminated when the kid is adopted or when the behaviour of either the biological father or the biological mother poses a risk to the child’s wellbeing and justifies the termination of parental responsibilities.
What are the chances that I will be able to relieve the other parent of their parenting responsibilities?
The removal of parental responsibilities is something that the Family Court will only think about doing in very unusual situations. The following are some situations under which parental rights might be terminated:
- A parent being sentenced to jail for physically abusing a kid and resulting in the child’s death
- Sexual exploitation or assault of a kid
- Any kind of physical or sexual violence perpetrated by one parent against the other parent
- Refusing to provide one’s informed permission for medical treatment
On the other hand, a court will not absolve a parent of their parental responsibilities, most notably with regard to the father, for any of the following reasons:
- He has no relationship with his son or daughter.
- His offspring does not want to have any more interaction with him
- He refuses to make any payments toward child support
- He does not play a role in his child’s life in any way.
In the event that a court determines that a father is having a detrimental effect on a child, the court has the ability to limit the amount of involvement that the father has in the life of the child by issuing either a Child Arrangements Order or a Prohibited Steps Order. These orders can restrict the level of involvement that the father has in the life of the child.
Should I submit an application to be released from my parenting responsibilities?
It is quite unlikely that a court would remove parental responsibility from either parent, thus it is in your best interest to consult an attorney on the many choices available to you. You will only have a chance of being successful with a court application if it can be shown that “extraordinary circumstances” exist in your case.
Applying for an order that restricts the amount of participation the other parent has in the life of a kid might be a more practical and economical course of action to take. Nevertheless, it would be wise to carefully examine the repercussions of excluding the other parent from your child’s life before making such a decision.
