Parental Rights & Responsibilities

When it comes to divorce, the welfare of your children is of the utmost importance. If you're thinking about divorce, then you should be considering what the legal implications are. A child, in Scotland, is under the age of 16.

Parental rights and responsibilities (PRR's) are defined in the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. The objective is provide parents with rights which will allow them to carry out their responsibilities.

Who has Parental Responsibilities and Rights? (PRR's)

Changes made in the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 mean that both a child's mum and dad are given PRR's if they register the child's birth together. For children born before the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 came into force and if the child's mum and dad were married to one another (or got married later) then both parents were given PRR's. If a child's mum and dad were not married, then only the mum was given PRR's, but as a result of the new act a dad can apply for PRR's.

Other people can ask for PRR's by applying to the courts.

If this is an issue affecting you and you would potentially like legal advice call us on 0845 620 5664 or fill out our online enquiry form. Alternatively email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it