What happens when you don't have a father?

[GiveHerHellFromUs]

On the BBC they're discussing the differences between civil partnerships and marriages.

They said when you're in a civil partnership you have both parents names on the certificate but on a marriage certificate you have both fathers names. What happens when you don't have a father - ie you don't know who he is?

It's not an issue for me, it just made me wonder.

I used to be a registrar, we just put a dash if father is unknown or even if you don’t want their name on there.

* Did you think if you don’t have a dad then you can’t get married?*

There are countries where men and women who don’t know both parents’ names (but haven’t been raised in an orphanage) can’t get married.

Did you use a trampoline to manage that leap?

I didn't put my fathers name. There's a dash In The place.

I have two lines where the fathers name should be. I hate it because it's nobodies business so I tend to use the small one unless ID requires the big one because invariably lots of nosy questions will be asked. I'm 57 and it still pisses me off.

We've just been filling out the form for the registrar pre. our marriage and I was a bit put out by the mention of 'fathers name' for several reasons

Why just the father and not both parents ?
Why have parents names at all (if you are not under the age of consent) ?
I'm 56 FFS
I was estranged from him most of my life

It's really good to know that I can just put a dash in the space otherwise it may as well be the name of a stranger. Of course if DP would like his (now deceased but very much loved) father's name on the form then he absolutely should.

It’s just blank, not the end of the world.

The Registrar would just draw a line in the relevant space on the marriage certificate, to show the omission was deliberate and not an error. ( Former Registrar of Ceremonies here).

@madcatladyforever small one and big one of what?

I do find it bizarre that you have to have anyone's name. I suppose it dates back to when your father had to 'allow' your DP to marry you.

That's why civil partnerships allow you to put parents names - bit more modern.

It's probably more for them to track family trees etc, especially as many families tend to be more complex than the standard nuclear with 2.4 children these days.

In Scotland marriage certificates have always had both parents names.

In England now marriage certificates can have both parents names as well.

The reason to have parents names on it, or father's names previously, was so that it was obvious which Jane Smith married which David Jones. It's just that England was behind the likes of Scotland in including the mother's name as well.

This is one of the rare examples of where NI is also more progressive than England as we have both parents names on marriage certificates.