Step-parents: family or legal strangers?

In a legal sense, step-parents are often inconspicuous. However, the living arrangements in many step-families often mean that step-parents live with, or look after, the children of their spouse or civil partner. In certain situations, for example where a child needs urgent medical treatment, the authorities will need to deal with someone with parental responsibility. Parental responsibility is the most important concept between parents and children. It is defined by s 3(i) of the Children Act 1989 (CA 1989) as “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibility and authority” which by law a parent has in relation to his or her child. A step-parent does not automatically obtain parental responsibility for a step-child just by marrying or entering into a civil