What is the legal definition of a godparent?
In the eyes of the law, godparents are not guardians. A godparent is typically someone who the parents have chosen to sponsor the child into a church. This is most commonly found in Christian churches, though other religions also have the role of godparent.
Do godparents have legal responsibilities?
Unless there is legal documentation that provides additional rights, the godparent is not a legally bound person to the family, and there is no legal process that can protect his or her rights to visitation or custody.
What is the purpose of godparents?
In both religious and civil views, a godparent tends to be an individual chosen by the parents to take an interest in the child’s upbringing and personal development, to offer mentorship or claim legal guardianship of the child if anything should happen to the parents.
What are the rules of godparents?
Godparents must be practicing Catholics who are at least 16 years of age and must have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. If married, the godparent must be married in the Catholic Church or had their marriage blessed by the Catholic Church.
What are the rules of being a godparent?
Godparents must be chosen by the parents or guardian and cannot be the child’s mother or father. They should also be at least 16 years old and must be an active member of the church who has received the sacraments of confirmation and communion.
Can a non-religious person be a godparent?
While the secular interpretation of godparent is a bit of a free-for-all, the Christian interpretation is not. To be a godparent to a Catholic child, you have to be a baptised, practising Catholic (although a baptised person from another denomination can serve as an “official witness”).
Can anyone be a godparent?
What is legal guardian’s name?
A guardian is a person who has assumed the care and protection of another person, and is responsible for all legal decisions on behalf of that person, and his property. All parents are legal guardians of their child(ren) till the child attains 18 years of age. After that parents are no longer the legal guardians.