Open petition: Legislate to revoke Parental Responsibility after long absence

Created by Vicki Frankland
Closes on 15 April 2027

We want the Government to automatically review or revoke Parental Responsibility when a parent has been absent for a specified long-term period. Resident parents should not have to face costly, stressful court battles to make basic decisions for a child left by an absent parent.

Resident parents who raise children without support should not be held back by the legal rights of an absent parent. Right now, a parent with no contact or involvement for years can still block simple, necessary life choices for a child, forcing the primary parent into unnecessary court battles. We believe the law must evolve to protect resident families: if a parent abandons their duties for a specified prolonged period, their legal control over that child should automatically end.

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