Should all father's be given parental responsibility automatically by Essay

Should all father's be given parental responsibility automatically by the law - Essay Example This is quite unfair to the father. As it stands, the law can be said to be wanting for various reasons. The number of births outside marriage continues to grow as a fraction of the total number of births. In 1996, the Lord Chancellor's department figures showed that 35.8% of births on UK were outside marriage, of which 58% indicated both parents living together (Townsend and Baker 1998). This shows an active continued participation of the father in the life of both the mother and the child. As well it is a clear indication of a significant number of mothers holding no reservations to the fathers' participation in their lives, prescribing that of their children (Anne and Probert 2004). Two principal means by which fathers acquire parental responsibility are parental responsibility agreement with the mother,( and registering it with the principle registrar of the family division), and parental responsibility orders. Looking at both, the figures show that a very small percentage of the parents has pursued these means. In 1996, despite registering 232,663 births outside of marriage, only 5,587 parental responsibility orders were given by the courts and a meager 3,000 parental responsibility agreements were registered. ... This is not necessarily a show of lack of concern on the unmarried fathers part. Instead, it brings to light the common assumption that living together outside of marriage grants one common rights before the law. The long judicial processes are in any case, not ideal for anyone. Granting automatic parental rights would go along way in ensuring that these fathers do not have to worry about the long judicial processes but take up their roles as they ought as early as possible. Otherwise, they might continue to avoid the imagined or real humiliation and intimidation in the court or getting an attorney to help them in the signing of the agreement (Lewi Gatvitz and Clarke). Without a doubt, generally categorizing all unmarried fathers as irresponsible or as being of questionable character as the law currently does, as deceptive a heuristic as it is dangerous. It is deceptive because unmarried fathers are just a small representation of what the society is. If we pick married fathers or unmarried mothers or married mothers as other representations of the society, then we will find that there are also men or women who conduct themselves poorly within them. Marital status does not automatically mean a certain character, good or bad (Townsend and Baker 1998). The law should be the first to reflect this reality. If this was the attitude in law then automatic parental responsibility would smell closer for the unmarried fathers (Townsend and Baker 1998). The discrimination due to marital status would end too. Fathers have both a practical and a symbolic significance to the lives of children. To enable them be more effective fathers, the law should seem to acknowledge the importance of the father-child bond. By denying unmarried fathers parental responsibility, they are also