children under 17yrs of age

[nasha01]

Hello there,
hoping someone can help save me some pennies so I don't have to telephone the 1 pound a minute helpline. I have a 13yr old daughter, I split up with her father when she was a baby and have been married since she was a year old. I was never married to my daughters father and he has never contributed to her upbringing financially although he does see her occassionally. I have spoken to him about the move and he has been very supportive and just wants whats best for our daughter. My ex has never had joint parental responsibility, there have never been any court orders or anything. My question is;
What do I put on the ITA? As far as I am concerned I have full parental responsibility for my daughter I have no legal documentation as I have never experienced any problems with my ex or had to go to court. Any ideas??? :icon_razz:
Thanks lots
:icon_razz:

Hi,

First of all, to save you ringing the ?1 per minute helpline, here's an alternative number that gets you through to exactly the same place and it's only the cost of a normal phone call (if you're in the UK that is!!) - 01344 716199.
With regards to the situation with your daughter, if your ex has no objection to you taking your daughter abroad, and if he doesn't have parental responsibility (which any father automatically gets if you were ever married to him), then just fill in the ITA, stating that you are the only person with parental responsibility. Have you got a passport for your daughter yet, because you will need to state this on the passport application form as well..... The only problem I forsee is, if your daughter has your ex's surname (for official purposes, i.e. birth certificate, passport) and you have never legally changed her name to the same as you and your husbands, then you may encounter some problem with schooling here, as (because she will have a different surname to you), they may ask to see proof that you were entitled to remove her from the UK permanently.
What you could possibly do is get your ex to sign a letter in the presence of a solicitor, to confirm that he gives his permission for you to take her abroad permanently. This should cover your back for schooling purposes, and also, if your ex decides to change his mind at some point in the future and wants you to bring her back to the UK, you have proof that he gave his full permission.
I could drone on about this for hours, having been through a similar situation myself, but that's about the gist of it! If you have any more questions about this, either PM me and I'll try and help, or for a little more professional help, consult a solicitor before you do anything!

Best of luck,

Thank you for your response, I will have a word with her dad and arrange for him to sign a letter at a solicitors (shouldn't cost too much). My daughter has always been known by my married surname, never thought to legally change it. Her dad has made it clear he is happy with our plans and wants our daughter to have a good life... I suppose I am lucky about that. Thanks anyway, really appreciate your words.....its nice to know that I am not alone and other people have experienced similar things. :icon_razz: :icon_razz: :icon_razz: