LGBTQ+ Parents - A Bite Sized Guide to Relationship Breakdown & Children Disputes

Introduction

Disputes about children may arise after any relationship breakdown and require adjudication in the family court. For LGBTQ+ parents, the court process can be particularly complex, as the procedural rights of each parent will differ depending on their legal parenthood status and whether they have parental responsibility.

This bite-sized webinar will provide you with an understanding of who can apply for s.8 orders, the options available to non-legal parents, the complexities of multi-parent families, and in particular, the acquisition of parental responsibility.

Given the growing number of ‘alternative families,’ it is incumbent on all family law practitioners to understand the different challenges that LGBTQ+ parents can face when involved in disputes about children.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• The ability to apply for s.8 orders
• Parental responsibility: who has it, who is entitled to apply for a parental responsibility order, and what are the options for everyone else?
• Three - or more - parent families and relationship breakdown
• The importance (or not?) of biology to the child’s welfare

This webinar was recorded on 17th April 2023