To not know how the school fines work?

[GetInMyNelly]

"Per parent" fines. How do they deem the parents??

A married mother and father
An unmarried mother and father
An absent parent and the resident parent

I'm not sure how they decide the fines??

Background:

have a DS who's father isn't involved, nor is he on the birth certificate.

If I was to take DS out of school and be fined, would they fine his father too??

I expect the parent who has the child in their care at the time of the absence, is the one liable and the one who receives the bill.

I would assume parent is 'person with parental responsibility'.

To answer your update ....no. It would be you to receive the fine.

So if the BF is not on birth certificate and hasn't applied to court for parental responsibility then I can't see they could get fined.

But they say "per parent", in sense this discriminates against couples.

What if a father is with the mother but he isn't on the birth certificate?? (This seems more common these days).

Do people really not put the fathers on the birth certificate even if they are still together? That appears on the face of it to be really unfair on the child and the father. Why would someone do this? (Genuine question. NB for situations where the couple are still together, not other situations).

Mothers automatically have parental responsibility. Fathers have parental responsibility if they are on the birth certificate or married to the mother, or if they have applied for it. A fine will be issued to whoever has PR.

It'll be anyone with parental responsibility as they are responsible for ensuring the child attends school - so in your situation you are the only person with parental responsibility therefore you are solely responsible for ensuring your child attends school so you get the fine, in the case of a couple or separated parents where the NRP has parental responsibility they are both responsible for ensuring the child attends school therefore they are both fined.

The fine should be per child though & not per parent & should be issued in the case of couples or separated parents that parents are jointly & separately liable for the fine.

Do people really not put the fathers on the birth certificate even if they are still together?

Yes...they do. Sometimes because the Father is an awful person. Quite a common occurrence.

OP...it's not unfair to couples because they have joint income.

My county has a rather "broad" definition of parents when fines are involved!

I am the RP - dc’s dad lives abroad. He took them out of school for a week when he was back in the country - forms requesting authorised absence completed and filled in by him - absence not authorised (as expected, but hoped here was some leeway for children seeing parents after 6 months apart...) and it was me who got fined

He paid it, but still. Seemed very unfair to me.

its a crime, the punishment goes to the parent or parents who have committed it. therefore if the mother takes the child away on her own, mother is fined. If the mother and step father take two children away, both are fined for the first one, and then again for the second one.

should way "offense" rather than crime

but you have responsibility for the child, and allowed the to take a week off school, therefore the court would blame you.

Fifthkey This really needs challenging. The family courts say that a parent can essentially do what they want with their children, without recourse to the other parent. And the courts will generally grant a holiday if it is put in front of them regardless of school because they recognise a parent is allowed to know what is best for their child and make decisions accordingly.

You should, therefore, not be held liable for the actions of the other parent. I wish someone would challenge this as it is such a double standard and can be used by separated parents to cause financial Issues, distress and upset.

How would a school know who is and isn’t on the birth cert? Surely they just go by the family information you’ve given them ie if you’re a single parent and take them away you get the fine

It will also be on YOUR record thefifthkey, not his, like points on a driving licence. Even is someone else pays, it is still on your record

Claire - if the DC were in the care of their father for that week, I wouldn’t necessarily know whether he was taking them out of school or not.

Your record in what sense? Your record with whom?

I’m not worried about my imaginary record 😂

As far as I know if parents are divorced and one takes the child out of school both still get fined. Bonkers.

having a court judgement against you is not something to laugh about. It will be on your record for life and can affect you in all sorts of ways, mortgages, employment, insurance, etc. Nothing "imaginary" about it.

Or do you reckon court records get burnt at the end of the year, or something

A fine isn’t a CCj. A CCj is there because you didn’t pay the fine, if the school take you to court to enforce it (and you still don’t pay after they win)

There isn’t a “record” that the fine goes on. Once it’s paid it doesn’t matter any more than a parking ticket does

Claire I think you’ve misunderstood. This is nothing to do with CCJs