Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Declaration definition

What does Declaration mean? A declaration is a court’s formal statement determining the legal rights, obligations or status of the parties, without ordering further relief such as damages or an injunction. It is binding and clarifies the legal position, commonly used for contract interpretation, insurance coverage disputes, property rights, company law questions, and to test the lawfulness of statutory powers and public decisions in judicial review. The remedy is discretionary: the court will grant it where there is a real dispute and practical utility, including negative declarations (for example, that a party is not liable). It can be sought as stand‑alone declaratory relief...

Declarations of Parentage under the Family Law Act 1986: jurisdiction, sufficient interest, parties, adoption (PD 8B), Child Support Acts and legitimacy—England and Wales

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

Practice Note

This Practice Note outlines the core principles for applying for a declaration of parentage under the Family Law Act 1986. It addresses the court’s jurisdiction and the need for an applicant to show a sufficient personal interest. It also examines who the parties are, declarations relating to adopted children, and declarations of parentage for the purposes of the Child Support Act 1991 and the Child Support Act 1995. Declarations of legitimacy are likewise considered...

In Re G (children) (residence: same-sex partner), Baroness Hale identified three routes by which a person may become a parent, namely:

genetic parenthood — the supplying of gametes that create the child
gestational parenthood — the conceiving and carrying of the child
social and psychological parenthood — the relationship formed as the child seeks care and the parent meets the child’s needs

The court cannot issue a declaration of psychological parentage, as such declarations are confined to matters of fact. See Practice Note: Acquisition of parental responsibility by female parents...

In A Local Authority v M, a child’s paternity was established through DNA testing commissioned during the proceedings. The man recorded on the child’s birth certificate was...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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