Is a residence order giving up parental rights?
emandgee is pretty close to being correct, but a residence order DOES grant parental rights to the named adult – see section 12 of the Children Act 1989 (link below). This does NOT take your parental rights away. It merely adds someone else in. You should bear in mind that a residence order sets out where a child is to live, and it is not clear that this is what you need or how anyone would benefit. At the moment, you have parental rights and your mother can act, under your instruction, in any way that you feel is appropriate in relation to your son’s upbringing (unless that is likely to lead to your son suffering harm, which does not seem to be the case). If you really are thinking of applying to a court, you do need some professional assistance. Try to speak with Social Services or with a family lawyer. It really will help.
