"For every Father's Day, it should be worth remembering that fathers - especially the unmarried fathers - now have rights they did not have in the past".
Since fathers are as responsible for their children as mothers are, they should be allowed to play a significant role in their upbringing.
"According to the Children's Act, the biological father of a child has full parental responsibilities and rights if he is, or was, married to the child's mother at the time of the child's conception, birth, or any time between the child's conception and birth". Hmmm!
They also claimed that even after a divorce, the biological father still has full parental responsibilities and rights in respect of his child unless a court orders otherwise.
An unmarried biological father acquires full parental responsibilities and rights in respect of a child if he:
* Is living with the mother in a permanent life-partnership at the time of birth.
* Consents to be identified as the child's father, successfully applies to be identified as the child's father, or pays damages in terms of customary law.
* Has contributed or has attempted in good faith to contribute to the child's upbringing for a reasonable period.
* Has contributed or has tried in good faith to contribute towards maintenance expenses for the child for a reasonable period.
Some few male friends also came up with; Some of the rights natural fathers have which include:
* To be informed of the pregnancy; hahaha! As if you will do anything afterwards.
* To have the opportunity to acknowledge paternity and to be included in the registration of the child's birth; that's no problem if he is part of the antenatal stages.
* To accept or oppose the adoption of an unplanned child and have this stance put on the record; just don't bother, there's always a way out?
* To adopt the child should the birth mother decide to give the child up for adoption; why should that happen in the first place?
By acknowledging paternity, a father accepts to share financial responsibility for the child, should he and the mother choose not to raise the child together, but the mother may seek a court order for maintenance payments if she and the father cannot agree about how much he should contribute financially to the child's upbringing. That's where to problem lies....agreement.
Abegi! Share your own opinion jare.
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