Protection of child rights in family cases in Lithuania and Estonia

ENProtection for the rights of the child is the fundamental principle and a guiding idea in family policy, laws and case law in Europe. One of the main rights of the child in the context of family law is to maintain regular relations with both parents. Many mechanisms are designed to strengthen families, to assist them in bringing up children and to cope with difficulties that arise. Nevertheless, couples often separate and the courts are then called to settle parental disputes related to custody rights, to designate the residential parent, and establish visitation rights and maintenance obligations. This chapter analyses Lithuanian and Estonian case law offering an overview of the leading cases and revealing the main problems that occur in resolving family disputes related to children. In addition, to complete the picture, the authors briefly present the relevant legal regulations in their countries. The authors’ analysis of the case law shows that the designation of the residential parent, establishment of the contact regime and participation rights in the upbringing of the child are closely interlinked. As a result, these issues are typically dealt with together by national courts, which seek to balance the interests of the parents and the rights of the child. The case law leads to the conclusion that parents quite often abuse their parental authority and fail to respect the child’s right to maintain personal contact with a non-residential parent, thus not only breaching the child’s rights but also limiting the second parent’s possibility to participate in the child’s life. To minimise this risk, the courts often establish very detailed visiting and contact rules and take other measures to ensure that the best interests of the child are observed. [From the publication]

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