申請婚生或非婚生子女的管養權 Application for Custody of Legitimate or Illegitimate Child

 申請婚生或非婚生子女的管養權

根據《未成年人監護條例》第10條，未成年人的父母其中一方如提出申請，法庭在顧及對未成年人而言的最佳利益、以及父母雙方的行為和意願後，可就未成年人的管養發出命令。未成年人的最佳利益是法庭的首要考慮事項。因此，法庭會因應未成年人的年齡及理解能力，在可行情況下考慮其意願，亦會參考任何重要資料，例如在聆訊進行期間社會福利署署長呈上法庭的報告。

正常情況下，父母雙方擁有均等的權利及權力，但若果該兒童是非婚生子女，其母親則會擁有所有父母應有的權利及權力。法庭可就父親的申請作出命令，在該未成年人為婚生的假設下，賦予其法律上作為父親的部分權利及權力。即使父母其中一方並無該兒童的管養權，法庭仍可命令其提供經濟上的援助，命令的內容可以包括一筆款項、定期款項、移轉某項財產或授產安排。

在MG v LHH [2008] HKFLR 256一案，案中父母雙方未有結婚或同住。母親在同時照顧兩個年幼兒童時遇上困難，因而同意讓祖母照顧其中一個子女。母親後來因為不被允許將子女帶回住所，而向法庭申請兩個子女的管養權。雖然法律上母親擁有非婚生子女的獨有管養權，但法庭考慮到父親所擁有作為父親的權利，而將兩個子女的照顧和管束權頒予母親，並頒令共同管養權。

Application for Custody of Legitimate or Illegitimate Child
According to Article 10 of Guardianship of Minors Ordinance, on the application of either of the parents of a minor, the Court may make an order regarding custody of the minor having regard to the best interests of minor and to the conduct and wishes of parents. The best interests of the minor are regarded as the paramount consideration. The Court hence give due consideration to the views of the minor if it is practicable having regard to the minor’s age and understanding, and to any important information, such as reports of the Director of Social Welfare available to the court at the hearing.

The rights and authority of the mother and father of a child are equal, except where the child is born out of wedlock, which the mother has all the parental rights and authority. On the application of the unmarried father, however, the Court may order to grant some rights or authority to the father as if the child is legitimate. The Court may also make orders for financial provisions against a parent not having custody, including lump sum, periodical payments, transfer or settlement of property.

In MG v LHH [2008] HKFLR 256, the parents were not married and lived apart. The mother had difficulty in looking after two very young children so she agreed to let the grandmother take care of one child. The mother applied for custody of both children when she was not allowed to take the child back. Though the mother had the sole custody of children born out of wedlock, the court recognized the father’s legal rights; hence the court gave care and control of the children to the mother and awarded joint custody.