I am a single mother of a two year old who wants to become his sole guardian and make all decisions about him entirely alone. Will his father's consent to this help, if I want to legalize this in court?

Under Israeli law, separated parents can make an agreement about guardianship and custody of their mutual children,and have it authorised in court. Usually, however, parents agree that although one of them will have custody, and the other shall still retain guardianship rights, in the spirit of the equal role conferred by law, to each of them, as a biological parent, and natural guardian.

Accordingly, the court will be extremely careful before it authorises an agreement whereby one parent accepts the weighty responsibility of being a sole guardian, and the other parent completely relinquishes his natural role and involvement in the upbringing and decision making relating to their minor child. It may well require a report and positive recommendation on the matter, from a welfare officer it appoints, before authorising the agreement. Though a parent's consent to giving up guardianship will help, the court will definitely want to make sure, that both parents, but particularly the one 'backing out', really understand the implications of their consent to sole guardianship, before authorising any agreement removing this from one of them.