LEGAL EAGLE: I want to be involved in any decisions about his care but I'm not on the birth certificate

If a Parental Responsibility Agreement is signed by the mother, then this would be presented to the Family Court.

I separated from my child’s mother before he was born in April 2020 and she did not include me on his birth certificate. I want to be involved in any decisions about his care. Is there anything I can do?

If you had been named on your child’s birth certificate, or indeed had you been married to his mother at the time he was born, you would have automatically had ‘parental responsibility’ for your son.

These are the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which a parent has in respect of their child – in practical terms, parental responsibility gives you a right to be involved in any decisions taken in respect of the child.