Need Urgent Help?
Stepfamilies Australia is not a crisis response. For crisis responses please call:
- 000 – Police for immediate safety
- 13 11 14 – Lifeline
- 1800- RESPECT (1800- 737 732) family violence and sexual assault 24- hour telephone support
Stepfamilies – Rights and Responsibilities
“What are my legal rights?”
Stepfamilies sit in a legally complicated space. This tipsheet covers those spaces, as well as what options are available. It also covers who has guardianship rights and how to obtain them in the event something happens to the biological parent.
Without any positive action, stepparents do not have any legal rights with respect to parental responsibility.