Acting on behalf of an underaged child

The guardians of a minor can usually act on behalf of the child in all matters without a specific mandate. The guardians must be registered in the Population Information System.

If a valid joint custody agreement or order is in place regarding custody of the child, the content of the agreement or order will determine whether the guardian can act on behalf of the child. 

• The guardian always has the right to see the information on the child regardless of the restrictions of the joint custody agreement if the e-service has not prevented the seeing of the information on such grounds as a non-disclosure order.
• In some e-services, it is not possible to act on behalf of the child if a joint custody agreement or order is in place regarding custody or it also applies to other matters in addition to the living arrangements. 
• When a joint custody agreement or order has been issued using the classifications for the division of the responsibilities introduced in autumn 2020, acting on behalf of the child may be possible according to the division also when the division concerns the following matters: social services, health services, early childhood education and care, education and training, or membership in a religious community. The right of access to information entered into the joint custody agreement or order may also enable people other than the guardian to view the child’s information.  

Check from the e-service in question how the joint custody agreement or order affects acting on behalf of the child or viewing the information.