Chapter I: Parental authority over the person of the child

Children of all ages owe honour and respect to their father and mother.

Parental authority is a set of rights and duties with the interests of the child as their ultimate goal. It belongs to the parents until the child reaches majority or emancipation to protect the child’s safety, health and morality, to ensure the child’s education and enable the child’s development, with due respect for the child’s person. Parental authority is exercised without physical or psychological violence. Parents involve the child in…

Each parent contributes to the maintenance and education of the children in proportion to his or her resources, those of the other parent, and the needs of the child. This obligation does not cease ipso jure either when parental authority or its exercise is withdrawn, or when the child comes of age.

The child may not, without the permission of the father and mother, leave the family home and may only be removed from it in cases of necessity as determined by law.

Children have the right to maintain personal relations with their ascendants. Only the interests of the child may prevent the exercise of this right. If it is in the child’s interests, the family court judge shall determine the terms and conditions of relations between the child and a third party, whether a parent or not, in particular where that third party has resided on a stable basis with the child…

The child must not be separated from his or her brothers and sisters, unless this is not possible or if his or her interests require another solution. Where appropriate, the judge will rule on personal relationships between brothers and sisters.

A child leaving the national territory without being accompanied by a holder of parental authority shall be in possession of an authorisation to leave the territory signed by a holder of parental authority. A decree in the Conseil d’Etat shall determine the conditions of application of this article. .