Parental Responsibility

[citronella]

I have residency exh has contact (he never signed the statement of Arrangements but court was satisfied with what was put forward)
Contact has been inconsistent and sporadic although he is great with them when he does see them.
He does not contribute any child support.
So I think he confuses responsibilities, duties and rights.

He keeps quoting CA 1989 at me.
This is what I know of CA '89 (sorry for long quote):

"Parental Responsibility is defined by the Children Act 1989 as being all the rights, duties, powers and responsibility which a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his or her property. It includes rights and duties with regard to education, choice of religion, administration of a child?s property and choice of residence. It is important to note that all the provisions of the Children Act 1989 are subject to the guiding principle of the child?s best interests and consequently the exercise of parental responsibility to limitations where disputes arise either between holders of parental responsibility or between parents and children.

Parental responsibility lasts until the child is 18, although at that upper end of childhood it should only be exercised in a way, which is consistent with the child?s evolving capacity and maturity. Having parental responsibility is legally distinct from being recognised as a child?s mother or father."

It says somewhere that parental responsibility can be exercised independently but obviously in best interests of the children.

My question is:
Do I or do I not have to seek written permission from exh for dcs activities (as he insists I do) e.g Some I do ask his permission (trips away without me) some I don't (if it is a spot decision obviously)?

Sorry if long and a bit confused.
Hope someone in the know can put me straight.

No you don't. If there is something he thinks you are allowing your DS to do when he is in your care he doesn't agree with he can take you to court.
He sounds controlling. You have the right to a private life.

It was something that i had once agreed i xouldnt allow but forgot and had changed my mind. Innocently sent a picture of ds doing it and was reminded of the Act and that he wished to have his written permisdion sought for certain activities. If i thought they were important activities i would prob inform out of courtesy but think it is a bit much to expect me to haveto ask when in reality he is quite lacking in his own responsibilities.

Your on the straight path. PR rights concern only the important decisions like which you quoted and like when you ask for permission for trips away etc but it certainly does not iinclude daily (day to day) life decisions / activities. As for on the spot decision, again it all depends on the magnitude of the activity, I.e. Trips abroad or even some cosmetic surgery, unfortunately will, which you cover anyway. Put it this way, any big decision affecting the children will always require thought before a decision is reached by yourself, and, often on the spot decisions are not life changing to the child. So, no you don't.

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