Legal status in relation to children
For most traditional families, it is not difficult to ascertain who a child’s parents are. However, for the growing numbers of families conceived through fertility treatment (particularly donor conception and surrogacy) and families structured in unusual ways, the legal status of the adults involved in a child’s life can be more complex. There may also be important adults involved in a child’s life (for example step parents, grandparents or other relatives) who are not treated as legal parents, but whose status can be recognised by the law in other ways.
The information on this page explains who has legal status in respect of a child, and how status can be acquired if you do not have it automatically.
Find out more about:
Legal parenthood and adoption
Parental responsibility
Guardianship and special guardianship
Legal status: how can we help?
Please contact us if you would like our help with:
- advising you on your existing status in relation to a child,
- representing you in any dispute over who your child’s legal parents are,
- advising you on your options for acquiring or changing your status in respect of a child (with particular expertise representing intended parents in surrogacy situations, lesbian non-birth mothers and other non-parent adults in both agreed and contested situations),
- helping you to apply for adoption, a parental order, parental responsibility, guardianship or special guardianship (whether in an agreed or contested situation) or
- making a will to appoint guardians for your child.
