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Law Queries
Shared parental leave
Q. When the law changes to introduce shared parental leave, can I still opt
to take the whole 52 weeks of maternity leave myself if I want to?
A. Yes you can. The law is changing to introduce shared parental leave (SPL) for all babies born or placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015. However this new system is optional and it is entirely up to you whether you decide to opt in.
There are lots of issues to consider, including, most obviously, whether or not you want to go back to work and, if so, when.
Take care to make the right decision from the outset. This is because once you have opted to end your maternity leave and to replace it with SPL you will not be allowed to go back on that choice except in very limited circumstances.