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You are here: Home / Child Custody / Law commission recommends amendments to HMGA, 1956 and GWA, 1890 for joint custody and shared parenting

Law commission recommends amendments to HMGA, 1956 and GWA, 1890 for joint custody and shared parenting

May 23, 2015 by videv

Subsequent to Law Commission of India’s invitation to public in Nov 2014 to comment on its consultation paper about custody law reform in India, it has recently released its recommendations to the Law Ministry on amending both Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 and Guardians and Wards Act, 1890.   Full PDF of report is given below (linked from Law Commission’s website):

Law Commission of India Report no 257.  Reforms in Guardianship and Custody Laws in India.  May 2015

As per the report, there were 125 responses to Law Commission’s invitation for comments.  In a country of 1.25 billion, there were only 125 responses!   I am not sure if they are counting the responses sent via emails , because the number 125 seems too low.  Anyway, maybe someone can file an RTI to get those details.

The good point is that most responses were received in favour of shared parenting and joint custody, and relatively few against it.

Here’s a summary of the responses received reproduced from the report (Page 13-15):

D.Summary of Responses received by the
Commission
1.7.1 Of the 125 responses, most were in favour of
shared custody. Some of the reasons for this were:
 Children need both their mother and father—they
seek advice from each parent in different
situations.
 Children need adequate opportunities to bond
with each parent.
 Shared physical custody without shared legal
custody will lead a child to believe that the parents
do not have equal moral authority. Shared legal
custody without shared physical custody will
prevent a child from bonding with both parents.
 Shared custody can reduce acrimony between the
parents.

 Some women misuse the protections in Protection
of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and
Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, to take
children away from their fathers. However, in
shared custody arrangements, parental contact
would be withheld only for child abuse, neglect, or
mental illness. Children should have contact with
both parents regardless of whether the parents
reconcile.
 Gender-based stereotypes—e.g., that a girl child
should be raised by the mother and a boy child by
the father—are outdated. Both parents have
valuable contributions to make in the lives of
children of either gender.

1.7.2 A few reasons were given against a shared
parenting law:
 During divorce proceedings, husbands use child
custody to force their wives to give up maintenance
or withdraw criminal complaints.
 It is not healthy for a child to move between two
homes. A stable, anchored home is the best option.
 In a patriarchal society where women and children
are often harassed, ensuring the child’s safety
could be a problem.
 Where parents have unresolved issues, they will
not be able to agree on joint decisions for the child.
 India does not have the necessary supportive
measures, such as: laws for division of
matrimonial property; the right to reside in the
matrimonial home; a financial plan for the future
security of the caretaker spouse; and foster homes
for the children.
 It could be used to harass women.

1.7.3 Several respondents had suggestions on how
to implement a shared parenting system in India:
 Courts are not well suited to adjudicate custody
disputes. Instead, mediation centres should be set
up, staffed by people trained in advising parties on
issues pertaining to children and relationships.
Lawyers will just make the situation worse.
 Parents should have to submit a “Parenting Plan”
which provides the personal profile, educational
qualification, residence, and income of both
parties.
 Parents should open a joint bank account that can
only be used for the child’s expenses.

 

It is matter of some satisfaction that some of the recommendations published on this site (and probably sent by many to Law Commission) have been acknowledged in the report of Law Commission:

E.g.

Page 15, Sec 1.7.1

Gender-based stereotypes—e.g., that a girl child should be raised by the mother and a boy child by the father—are outdated. Both parents have valuable contributions to make in the lives of children of either gender.

Page 15, Sec 1.7.3:

Parents should open a joint bank account that can only be used for the child’s expenses.

Gist of amendments to the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 and Guardians and Wards Act, 1890

Upon quick reading of the report, I find that the gist of the recommendations are of the following nature:

1. Some of the proposed amendments aim to codify the existing case law into statutes so that the custody decisions are taken based on sole and paramount consideration of welfare of the child, so any references to father being natural guardian etc are being replaced with both parents as being guardians.

The Law Commission specifically pointed out that fathers can’t be given superior status in statute by being considered as natural guardians as per HMGA, 1956; and they mentioned Article 14 of the constitution citing equality before law.  So now men should demand the same from Law Commission on every existing and newly proposed law that Article 14 of the constitution must be respected and all terms of woman/man should be replaced by spouse/person in thus far exclusively women protection laws like PWDVA (DV Act) and Sexual Harassment laws, so that they can protect both genders equally.  If Law commission believes in the principle of equality before law, then why not apply the same and amend the DV Act and Sexual harassment law too?

2. The sections being added on joint custody (both legal guardianship and physical custody), are completely new.

3. The objectives of the amendment clearly mention the benefits of joint custody for children, so at least the lawyers and judges will not have an excuse to refer to objectives of the legislation to push for or justify a decision against joint custody.  They will have to work harder referring to the actual clauses in the statute.

4. The most troublesome part of the legislation is about section on “I. FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR GRANT OF JOINT CUSTODY”, which has clauses like ability and willingness of parents to cooperate towards a joint custody plan, the extent to which parents can work together; which means that most custody plans in cases of contested divorces being filed will necessarily go into long litigation and necessarily fail.  Most of these contested divorces have DV cases, IPC 498A/406 and other legislations being used against husband; and with the laudable but ever-elusive goal called ‘women empowerment’  being a consideration in society’s and judiciary’s mind, it is a foregone conclusion that non-cooperation and destructive behaviour by mothers will be pardoned or taken lightly, and a conclusion will be made that a joint-custody arrangement will not be workable.  These clauses will be relied upon by divorce industry, to show that things cannot be worked out and the faults in non-cooperative attitude lies not with the mother but on stars in the sky and un-auspicious planetary arrangements.  In that case, probably another 5-7 years may pass before some precedents in favour of fathers (and better welfare of children) can be achieved.

5. The positive parts of the proposed amendment is that there are specific decision making points which are to be made part of in arriving upon custody decisions, so judges will not have so much discretion in writing an order first, and then giving some gut-feel type of reasons without referring to the detailed facts of the situation as now proposed Decision Making section.  This will necessarily work in favour of fathers, and children; because from where things stand right now, they can only improve.

6. A new term child support is being introduced, and this new term will now allow for possibility of fathers being asked to pay child support till the child attains 25 years of age.  So all those with children who were thinking of getting rid of troublesome wives, now  be prepared to work and earn enough to be able to pay child support till children attain 25 years of age!

7. Joint custody decision will also depend on “intelligent preference” being expressed by the child.  The definition of intelligent preference has been left out, so expect another 5-10 years of court cases before this term is sorted out in the new case laws.  But at least they didn’t say just preference of the child  which is meaningless when the child is being alienated against fathers mostly, and that preference is a forced preference.

8.  Fathers will not be denied access (without court order to the contrary) to records of the child like medical, dental, and school records.

9.  Grandparents have to file for grand-parenting time with children separately.  It all seems just like the Western countries where parents and grandparents live separately, so now everyone has to file their own court cases, and hopefully the grand parents can also spend some quality time in their old age waiting around in the courts!

10. Parenting plan will be made by parents which will involve division of responsibilities and decision making for child, and also outline about the practical issues in visitation, shared custody, and such issues.  I guess the lawyers will definitely have additional fees coming their way.

11.  For deciding upon visitation (in cases joint custody doesn’t work out), court will again have to look at practical factors like age of child, distance between parents’ homes etc; and the good part is that it makes it mandatory that child has regular and ‘equal’ access and time with both parents.

12. I have left out any comments about mediation and such in the amendment, since I don’t think of them as a kind of mediation in reality; because in India even after alleged non-bailable crimes there can be mediation arranged between ‘parties’, and for crimes of (Technical) Rape, there can be compromise (by paying money) or even marriage arranged between ‘rape accused’ and ‘rape victim’.  But what do I know, hope lives eternal!

Proposed amendments to the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 and Guardians and Wards Act, 1890

In previous section I had outlined my understanding of the main points of the proposed amendments.  Below are reproduced in full the proposed amendment bills to Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 and Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 as given in Annexures I and II of the report, respectively:

                                                                          Annexure I

 

                        THE HINDU MINORITY AND GUARDIANSHIP
                                    (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2015

 

                                                 A Bill
                    further to amend the Hindu Minority and Guardianship
                    Act, 1956

                      Be it enacted in the Sixty-sixth year of the Republic
                                               of India:-
S HORT TITLE        1. This Act may be called the Hindu Minority and
                    Guardianship (Amendment) Act, 2015.

 

 

A MENDMENT  OF      2. In the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956
S ECTION  6         (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act) in section
                    6,
                    (1)  for  clause  (a),  the  following  clause  shall  be
                    substituted, namely:–
                    “(a) in the case of a boy or an unmarried girl – the
                    mother and the father;”;
                    (2) the  Explanation   shall be numbered as       Explanation
                    1,   and after the    Explanation    as so numbered,  the

                    following   Explanation   shall be inserted, namely:–
                    “Explanation 2.–    For the purpose of clause (a), unless
                    joint custody is granted by the court under Chapter
                    IIA of the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, the custody
                    of a minor who has not completed the age of five years
                    shall ordinarily be with the mother.”

S UBSTITUTION OF    3. In the principal Act, for section 7, the following
N EW     S ECTION   section shall be substituted, namely:–
     S
FOR  ECTION   7     “(7)  Natural  guardianship  of  adopted  child.  –  The
                    natural guardianship of an adopted child who is a
                    minor passes, on adoption, to the adoptive mother and
                    father.”

 

 

 

 

                                                                                     67

 

 

 

                                                                         Annexure II

 

                         THE GUARDIANS AND WARDS (AMENDMENT)
                                              BILL, 2015
                                                  A Bill

                      further to amend the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890

                       Be it enacted in the Sixty-sixth year of the Republic
                                                of India:-
S HORT TITLE         1. This Act may be called the Guardians and Wards
                     (Amendment) Act, 2015.

A MENDMENT  OF       2. In the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 (hereinafter
S ECTION  17         referred to as the principal Act), in section 17,
                     (i) for sub-section (1), the following sub-section shall
                     be substituted, namely:–
                     “(1) In appointing or declaring the guardian of a minor,
                     the  welfare  of  the  minor  shall  be  the  paramount
                     consideration.”;
                     (ii)  after  sub-section  (1),  the  following  sub-section
                     shall be inserted, namely:–
                     “(1A) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1), the
                     court shall have due regard to the law to which the
                     minor  is  subject,  in  appointing  or  declaring  the
                     guardian of that minor.”
A MENDMENT  OF       3. In the principal Act, in section 19, after clause (c),
S ECTION  19         the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:–
                     “Provided that in determining whether a person is
                     unfit to be a guardian under clause (a) or clause (b),
                     the welfare of the minor as required under sub-section
                     (1)  of  section  17  shall  be  the  paramount
                     consideration.”
S UBSTITUTION OF     4. In the principal Act, for section 25, the following
N EW      S ECTION   section shall be substituted, namely:–
     S
FOR  ECTION    25    “25. Proceedings for custody of ward.

                         (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in section
                             19, if a ward leaves or is removed from the
                             custody of a guardian of his person, or is not in
                             the custody of the guardian entitled to such
                             custody, the court, if it is of the opinion that it
                             will be for the welfare of the ward to return to
                             the custody of his guardian or to be placed in
                             his custody, may make an order for his return,
                             or for his being placed in the custody of the
                             guardian, as the case may be.

 

                                                                                     68

 

 

 

 

                         (2) For the purpose of enforcing the order, the court
                             may  exercise  the  power  conferred  on  a
                             Magistrate of the first class by section 97 of the
                             Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
                         (3) The residence of a ward against the will of his

                             guardian with a person who is not his guardian
                             does not of itself terminate the guardianship.

                         (4) In making an order under this section, the court
                             shall have regard to the welfare of the ward as
                             the paramount consideration.
                         (5) The court shall not make an order under this

                             section in respect of a child of fourteen years or
                             over,  without  taking  into  consideration  the
                             preference of the child.”
I NSERTION      OF   5. In the principal Act, after Chapter II, the following
N EW  HAPTER         Chapter IIA shall be inserted, namely:–
      C
                      “Chapter IIA: Custody, Child Support and Visitation
                                             Arrangements
                     19A. Objectives of the Chapter.

                     The objectives of this Chapter are to ensure that the
                     welfare of a minor is met by:–

                         (a)    ensuring that the child has the benefit of both
                              parents having a meaningful involvement in
                              his  life,  to  the  maximum  extent  consistent
                              with the welfare of the child;

                         (b)    ensuring that the child receives adequate and
                              proper  parenting  to  help  achieve  his  full
                              potential;

                         (c)    ensuring that the parents fulfil their duties,
                              and meet their responsibilities concerning the
                              care, welfare and development of the child;

                         (d)    giving  due  consideration  to  the  changing
                              emotional, intellectual and physical needs of
                              the child;

                         (e)    encouraging both the parents to maintain a
                              close  and  continuing  relationship  with  the
                              child, and to cooperate in and resolve disputes
                              regarding matters affecting the child;

                         (f)    recognising  that  the  child  has  the  right  to
                              know and be cared for by both the parents,
                              regardless of whether the parents are married,
                              separated, or unmarried; and
                         (g)    protecting  the  child  from  physical  or
                              psychological harm or from being subjected to,

 

 

                                                                                     69

 

 

 

                              or exposed to, any abuse, neglect or family
                              violence.

                     19B. Applicability of this Chapter.
                     The  provisions  of  this  Chapter  shall  apply  to  all
                     proceedings involving parents related to custody and
                     child  support,  including  such  proceedings  arising
                     under the Indian Divorce Act, 1869, the Parsi Marriage
                     and Divorce Act, 1936, and the Hindu Marriage Act,
                     1955.

                     19C. Definitions.

                     For the purpose of this Chapter:–
                         (a) “Joint custody” is where both the parents:–

                                i. share physical custody of the child, which

                                    may  be  equally  shared,  or  in  such
                                    proportion as the court may determine for
                                    the welfare of the child; and

                                ii. equally share the joint responsibility for

                                    the care and control of the child and joint
                                    authority to take decisions concerning the
                                    child; and

                         (b) “Sole  custody”  is  where  one  parent  retains
                             physical custody and responsibility for the care
                             and control of the child, subject to the power of
                             the court to grant visitation rights to the other
                             parent.

                     19D. Award of custody.
                         (1) In a proceeding to which this Chapter applies,

                             the  court  may  order  joint  custody  or  sole
                             custody consistent with the welfare of the child.
                         (2) In determining whether an order under this

                             section will be for the welfare of the child, the
                             court  shall  have  regard  to  the  guidelines
                             specified in the Schedule.

                         (3) Subject to the welfare of the child being the
                             paramount  consideration,  the  court  may
                             modify an order under this section, and record
                             the reasons for doing so.

                     19E. Power to pass additional orders.

 

 

                                                                                     70

 

 

 

                     The court shall have the power to pass any additional
                     or  incidental  orders  necessary  to  effectuate  and
                     enforce any order relating to the custody of the child.

 

                     19F. Mediation.
                         (1) The court will ordinarily refer the parents to the

                             court-annexed  mediation  centre  or,  in  the
                             absence thereof, to such person as the court
                             may  appoint  as  mediator,  either  at  the
                             commencement of, or at any stage during, the
                             proceedings under this Chapter.

                         (2) A mediator to which parents are referred to
                             under sub-section (1) must possess relevant
                             professional  qualifications  or  training  in
                             mediation, and sufficient skill and experience
                             in mediation relating to family disputes.

                         (3) For  the  purpose  of  this  section,  every  High

                             Court  and  District  Court  and  Family  Court
                             shall  maintain  a  list  of  court-annexed
                             mediation centres or individual mediators.

                         (4) The  court-annexed  mediation  centres  or

                             individual  mediators  shall  be  identified  and
                             paid  remuneration  in  accordance  with  a
                             scheme  prepared  for  this  purpose  by  the
                             concerned High Court, in consultation with the
                             respective State Governments.
                         (5) For the purpose of ordering or performing any

                             mediation under this section, the court and the
                             appointed mediator shall have regard to the
                             guidelines specified in the Schedule.

                         (6) The court may, where it considers appropriate

                             or necessary, seek assistance from a trained
                             and experienced professional to undertake an
                             independent  psychological  evaluation  of  the
                             child.
                         (7) A mediation ordered by the court under this

                             section must ordinarily conclude not later than
                             sixty days from the date of such order, unless
                             extended by the court, where necessary.
                     19G. Child support.

                         (1)   A court may pass appropriate orders for the
                             maintenance of children, and fix an amount
                             that  is  reasonable or  necessary  to  meet  the

 

 

                                                                                     71

 

 

 

                             living  expenses  of  the  child,  including  food,
                             clothing, shelter, healthcare, and education.
                         (2) For the purpose of determining reasonableness

                             or  necessity,  the  court  may  take  into
                             consideration the following factors, namely:–
                             (a) the  financial  resources  of  each  of  the

                                 parents;

                             (b) the standard of living that the child would

                                 have  had  if  the  marriage  had  remained
                                 intact;

                             (c) the physical and emotional condition of the
                                 child;
                             (d) the particular educational and healthcare

                                 needs of the child; and
                             (e) any other factors that the court considers fit.

                         (3) An order of the court under this section must

                             subsist till the child reaches 18 years of age.

                         (4) Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  sub-
                             sections (1), (2) and (3), the court may make
                             such  further  orders  as  it  considers  fit,
                             including:–

                             (a) requiring the payment of a sum greater than
                                the sum determined under sub-section (1);

                             (b)requiring the subsistence of an order for a
                                duration longer than as provided under sub-
                                section (3), but such order shall not subsist
                                in any case beyond such time as the child
                                reaches 25 years of age;
                             (c) requiring the subsistence of an order under

                                sub-section (3) beyond such time as the child
                                reaches 25 years of age in case of a child with
                                mental or physical disability; and

                             (d)making  the  estate  of  a  parent,  who  dies
                                during or after the conclusion of proceedings
                                under  this  section,  liable  for  obligations
                                under the order passed by the court.”
I NSERTION      OF   6. In the principal Act, the following Schedule shall be
S CHEDULE            inserted at the end, namely:–

                                             “SCHEDULE
                      GUIDELINES FOR CUSTODY, CHILD SUPPORT AND
                                   VISITATION ARRANGEMENTS

 

                                                                                     72

 

 

 

 

                       I. FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR GRANT OF
                                           JOINT CUSTODY

                        (1) In  making  an  order  for  joint  custody  under

                            Chapter IIA, the court shall have regard to the
                            following, namely:–

                                a. whether  the  parents  will  be  able  to
                                    cooperate and generally agree concerning
                                    important decisions affecting the welfare
                                    of the child;

                                b. whether each of the parents is willing and
                                    able to facilitate, and encourage, a close
                                    and continuing relationship between the
                                    child and the other parent;

                                c. whether the parents are able to jointly

                                    design and implement a day-to-day care
                                    plan that fosters stability;
                                d. the  maturity,  lifestyle  and  background

                                    (including culture and traditions) of the
                                    child  and  parents,  and  any  other
                                    characteristics that the court thinks are
                                    relevant;

                                e. the  extent  to  which  each  parent  has
                                    fulfilled,   or    failed    to    fulfil,   his
                                    responsibilities as a parent;

                                f. the extent to which the parents are able

                                    or  unable  to  find  a  reasonable  way  of
                                    working together;

                                g. the extent to which the higher income

                                    parent is willing to support in creating
                                    similar  standards  of  living  in  each
                                    parental home;
                                h. the child’s existing relationship with each

                                    parent, siblings, and other persons who
                                    may  significantly  affect  the  child’s
                                    welfare;
                                i. the  needs  of  the  child,  giving  due

                                    consideration       to    other      important
                                    relationships of the child, including but
                                    not  limited  to  siblings,  peers  and
                                    extended family members;

 

 

 

                                                                                     73

 

 

 

                                j. any family violence involving the child or

                                    a member of the child’s family;
                                k. whether the child is capable of forming an

                                    intelligent preference; and

                                l. any other fact or circumstance that the

                                    court thinks is relevant.
                        (2) The court shall direct the parents to conduct an

                            annual review of the welfare of the child and the
                            income of each parent, and to file the same
                            before the court.

                        II. DETERMINING PREFERENCE OF THE CHILD

                        (1) In determining the preference of the child for

                            any purpose under this Act, the court shall take
                            the  following  matters  into  consideration,
                            namely:–

                                a. whether  the  child  is  of  an  age  and

                                    maturity       to     indicate       intelligent
                                    preference;

                                b. the  extent  to  which  the  child  has  an

                                    understanding  of  the  circumstances
                                    surrounding the court proceedings;

                                c. whether the child has had a history of
                                    expressing an intelligent preference;
                                d. whether any preference of the child so

                                    expressed was based on the fact that the
                                    child recently spent an extended period of
                                    time with either parent; and

                                e. whether  the  child  understands  the

                                    consequences of the preference that he
                                    has expressed.
                        (2) In conducting an interview with the child, the

                            court  may,  if  it  considers  fit  in  the
                            circumstances:–

                                a. decide who will be present when the court
                                    interviews  the  child,  and  if  necessary,
                                    speak to the child alone, in the absence of
                                    the parents or their legal representatives;
                                    or

 

 

 

 

                                                                                     74

 

 

 

 

                                b. request      the    presence      of   a    child
                                    psychologist,  a  mediator,  or  any  other
                                    specific person identified by the court.

                        (3) The court shall make a record of the interview

                            with  the  child,  and  may  keep  such  record
                            confidential if the court determines that it is in
                            the welfare of the child.

                        (4) The court or any other person shall not, in any

                            circumstance, require or compel the child to
                            express his views in relation to any matter.

                              III. ACCESS TO RECORDS OF THE CHILD

                         (1)Unless limited by an order of the court, or any

                             other  provision  of  law,  neither  parent,
                             regardless of whether such parent has custody
                             of the child or not, shall be denied access to any
                             information about their minor child, including
                             medical, dental, and school records.

                         (2)The court may, in exceptional circumstances,
                             after  an  opportunity  of  being  heard,  order
                             specific  information  to  be  withheld  from  a
                             parent.

                         (3)In the case of medical records, the court may, if
                             it considers fit, deny access to a parent if the
                             physician  or  child  psychologist  treating  the
                             child makes a written statement that any such
                             access by the requesting parent would cause
                             substantial harm to the child or another person.

                                   IV. GRAND-PARENTING TIME

                         (1)A child’s grandparent may apply to the court for

                             a grand-parenting time order under one or more
                             of the following circumstances, namely:–

                                a. the parents of the child are divorced or
                                    have separated, or proceedings for divorce
                                    or  separation  are  pending  before  the
                                    court; or
                                b. the child’s parent, who is the daughter or

                                    son of the grandparent, is deceased; or
                                c. the grandparent has, in the past, provided

                                    an established custodial environment for

 

                                                                                     75

 

 

 

                                    the child, whether or not the grandparent
                                    had custody under a court order.
                         (2)An order for grandparenting time may be issued

                             only after giving due notice, and an opportunity
                             of being heard, to both the parents.
                         (3)Before  issuing  an  order  for  grand-parenting

                             time, the court shall determine whether such an
                             order is required for the welfare of the child.

                         (4)In determining the welfare of the child under
                             this part, the court shall consider the following,
                             namely:–

                                a. the love, affection, and other emotional
                                    ties existing between the grandparent and
                                    the child;
                                b. the  grandparent’s  mental  and  physical

                                    health;

                                c. the child’s intelligent preference;

                                d. the willingness of the grandparent, except
                                    in  the  case  of  abuse  or  neglect,  to
                                    encourage a close relationship between
                                    the child and the parent or parents of the
                                    child; and

                                e. any other factor relevant to the welfare of

                                    the child.

                                            V. MEDIATION

 

                         (1)The objective of mediation under Chapter IIA is

                             to assist the parties to arrive at an agreement
                             regarding the welfare of the child, and designing
                             an implementation plan to ensure the welfare of
                             the child.
                         (2)Where      there     are    undecided      issues     in

                             proceedings under  Chapter IIA, a court may
                             direct the parties to undergo mediation, resolve
                             the issues, and then seek approval of the court.

                         (3)It is the role of the mediator to–

                                a. encourage the parties to co-operate;

                                b. assist  the  parents  in  realising  their

                                    responsibilities  and  duties  towards  the
                                    welfare of the child; and

 

 

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                                c. in case a joint custody order is likely to be
                                    issued, work with the parties to resolve,
                                    in a mutually acceptable manner, related
                                    issues,  including,  but  not  limited  to,
                                    shared  parenting  time  and  shared
                                    responsibilities for decision making.
                         (4)If either party applies to the court to modify an

                             order issued under Chapter IIA, the court may
                             direct the parties to undergo mediation, to arrive
                             at  an  arrangement  that  will  work  for  the
                             concerned parties.

                                           VI. RELOCATION
                         (1)A parent intending to relocate shall give thirty

                             days advance written notice to the other parent.

                         (2)In case the relocation is opposed, the court must

                             determine if the proposed relocation is for the
                             welfare of the child.

                         (3)In determining the welfare of the child in cases

                             of  relocation,  the  court  shall  take  into
                             consideration the following factors, namely:–

                                a. whether the relocation is for a legitimate
                                    purpose;

                                b. each  parent’s  reasons  for  seeking  or
                                    opposing the relocation;
                                c. the quality of the relationships between

                                    the child and each parent;

                                d. the  impact  of  the  relocation  on  the

                                    quantity  and  the  quality  of  the  child’s
                                    future  contact  with  the  non-relocating
                                    parent;

                                e. the  degree  to  which  the  relocating
                                    parent’s  and  the  child’s  life  may  be
                                    enhanced economically, emotionally and
                                    educationally by the relocation; and

                                f. the     feasibility     of    preserving      the
                                    relationship between the non-relocating
                                    parent  and  the  child  through  suitable
                                    visitation arrangements.

                                       VII. DECISION MAKING

                         (1)An order for custody of a child made by the
                             court under Chapter IIA shall clearly address
                             the following issues, amongst others:–

 

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                                a. the  religious  instruction  of  the  child,

                                    attendance      at    places     of   worship,
                                    undergoing  religious  ceremonies,  and
                                    related matters;

                                b.    the  choice  of  school,  subjects,  classes,
                                    courses,  and  tuition,  and  whether  the
                                    child is to attend a particular school trip
                                    outside the local area;

                                c.    whether the child is to be hospitalized,
                                    and  whether  a  non-emergency  surgical
                                    procedure is to be performed on the child;

                                d.    the choice of extra-curricular activities,
                                    taking  into  consideration  the  child’s
                                    interests and aptitude; and

                                e. where the child will spend holidays, and

                                    in cases where required, the information
                                    that one parent has to provide to the other
                                    parent.

                         (2)The court can either make a specific decision
                             (e.g., the child will attend a given school) or
                             allocate  decision-making  responsibility  for  a
                             given issue to one parent or both together.

                                           VIII. PARENTING PLAN

                         (1)The objectives of a parenting plan are to–

                                (a) minimise the child’s exposure to harmful

                                    parental conflict; and
                                (b)encourage parents to mutually agree on

                                    the  division  of  responsibilities  of  the
                                    child’s upbringing through agreements in
                                    the parenting plan, rather than by relying
                                    on court intervention.

                         (2)In designing a parenting plan, the parents must
                             ensure that it is for the welfare of the child, and
                             that–
                                a. the day-to-day needs of the child are met;

                                b. any special needs that the child may have

                                    are met;
                                c. the child gets to spend sufficient time with

                                    each parent so as to get to know each
                                    parent, as far as possible;

 

 

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                                d. there is minimal disruption to the child’s

                                    education, daily routine and association
                                    with family and friends; and

                                e. transitions  from  one  parental  home  to

                                    another  are  carried  out  safely  and,
                                    effectively.

                         (3)A parenting plan may deal with one or more of

                             the following, namely:–

                                a. the parent or parents with whom the child
                                    is to live;

                                b. the time the child is to spend with the
                                    other parent;
                                c. the allocation of parental responsibility

                                    for the child;
                                d. the manner in which the parents are to

                                    consult with each other about decisions
                                    relating to parental responsibility;
                                e. the communication the child is to have

                                    with other persons;

                                f. maintenance of the child;

                                g. the  process  to  be  used  for  resolving
                                    disputes about the terms or operation of
                                    the plan;

                                h. the process to be used for changing the

                                    plan  to  take  account  of  the  changing
                                    needs or circumstances of the child or the
                                    parties to the plan;

                                i. any  aspect  of  the  care,  welfare  or

                                    development  of  the  child  or  any  other
                                    aspect of parental responsibility for the
                                    child.

                         (4)The  parenting  plan  must  be  voluntarily  and
                             knowingly arrived at by each parent.
                         (5)The court shall not ordinarily interfere with the

                             division  of  responsibilities  between  parents
                             reflected in the parenting plan, unless they are
                             ex facie  inequitable.

                         (6)If  the  initial  parenting  plan  does  not  cover

                             certain issues, the parents may approach the
                             court to modify the terms of the plan to address
                             new subjects of decision-making.

 

 

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                                               IX. VISITATION

                         (1)An order made by the court regarding visitation

                             must ensure that–
                                a. a  child  has  frequent  and  continuing

                                    contact     with    both     parents,     when
                                    appropriate,  and  also  with  extended
                                    family and friends; and

                                b. both parents have equal opportunites to
                                    spend  quality  time  with  the  child,
                                    including during holidays and vacations.
                         (2)For the purpose of determining visitation rights

                             and times, the court may take the following
                             factors into consideration, namely:–
                                a. the age of the child;

                                b. the distance between the parental homes;

                                c. any      holidays,     including     weekends,

                                    festivals and religious occasions, as well
                                    as longer school vacations; and

                                d. any other commitments of the parents,
                                    which might affect their ability to spend
                                    quality time with their child.

                         (3)The court may decide the time, manner and
                             place to exercise visitation rights, and may take
                             into consideration any visitation rights plan that
                             has been submitted to the court by the parents.

                         (4)A  court  may  limit,  suspend,  or  otherwise

                             restrict, the visitation rights granted to a parent,
                             if the court has reasonable basis to believe that
                             circumstances make such restriction necessary
                             for the welfare of the child, or if there is serious
                             or repeated breach by a parent of any duties
                             imposed by the court in this regard.”

Filed Under: Child Custody Tagged With: Child Custody Visitation News, Law Commission, Law Making, Shared Parenting

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