Nicola
was quoted in the Sunday Times article this weekend about co-parenting,
commenting on the legal issues for parents considering conceiving with
someone they are not in a relationship with. The weekend piece focused
on a single woman, Charlotte, and her hope to start a family with a
like-minded man. Charlotte explains how, at 41, she feels her time is
running out to have a baby and that she alone cannot afford to raise a
child. She is looking for a man she is not in a romantic relationship
with, who will share parenting care, financial responsibility and
decision making with her.Nicola was asked to comment on our experience as legal experts in co-parenting, and what Charlotte – and others like her – should think about before going into such an arrangement. She said: “We have seen a lot of success stories since we started providing co-parenting agreements. We advise people to think carefully about things like where everyone will live, what each person’s role is, how they will be known to the child and to others, and how the financial responsibility is to be shared.”
At NGA, we have seen co-parenting become a much more mainstream family building option for both single people and same sex couples over the past few years. There are websites, including Pride Angel, designed specifically as a forum for hopeful co-parents to meet and discuss their parenting plans. Some arrangements work incredibly well, but some do break down, and where they do this is often because there were mismatched expectations at the outset.
The key to ensuring a successful match and future arrangement is to have detailed discussions at the outset about the legal position and role of every individual (bearing in mind particularly that these arrangements often involve more than two parents – a situation the law is not adequately set up to cater for). The preparation of agreements confirming everyone’s intentions (even if they are not legally binding) is often a very helpful tool in setting solid foundations and ensuring that everyone is in harmony before a child is conceived.
You can read the Sunday Times article in full here. There is more information on the legal aspects of co-parenting on our website. If you would like advice or to put an agreement in place, do get in touch
