This note looks at parental responsibility (PR). It explains the meaning of PR and how having PR is not the same as being a parent. It discusses who has PR, including the mother and father, where there are two female parents and step-parents, and looks at the circumstances in which an individual other than a parent can acquire PR and where more than one person has PR. The note considers when PR ends automatically and when it ends by court order. The note also provides worked examples of PR.