Additional Paternity Leave Regulations 2010 and five related draft sets of regulations: these give fathers and partners (including same-sex and civil partners) up to six months' additional paternity leave, provided the mother has returned to work without exercising her full entitlement to maternity leave.
Some of the leave may be paid if it is taken during the mother's maternity pay period.
The fundamental provisions are in regulations 5 and 15 of the Additional Paternity Leave Regulations 2010. These specify that additional paternity leave will be for a maximum of 26 weeks and minimum of 2 weeks. It must not start until at least 20 weeks after the birth or placement for adoption and must end not later than 12 months after the birth or placement for adoption. It may only be taken in multiples of complete weeks.
The entitlement to 'transferable' paternity leave and pay applies to parents of children due (and adoptive parents notified of a match) on or after 3 April 2011. Although the Regulations are expected to come into force on 6 April, they are still in draft form.