Parental Responsibility
All the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities, and authority which by law a parent has in relation to the child and the child's property (s.3 Children Act 1989). Mothers have PR automatically; fathers acquire it through marriage, registration, agreement, or court order.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
GOV.UK guidance describes what the status actually means day to day: 'Having parental responsibility means you have legal rights and duties relating to your children's upbringing.' The most important roles it lists are to provide a home for the child and to protect and maintain the child, alongside responsibilities such as disciplining the child, choosing and providing for the child's education, agreeing to the child's medical treatment, and naming the child and agreeing to any change of name.
Who gets parental responsibility automatically follows clear, sourced rules: you automatically have parental responsibility if you give birth to the child (known as the birth mother), and a father or second parent will usually have automatic parental responsibility if married to or in a civil partnership with the birth mother when the child is born. By contrast, step-parents do not automatically get parental responsibility for children, even if they're married to a child's parent, and must apply for it separately.
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.