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Original poster

Has anyone had to reregister their DC after getting married?

101 replies

Darkroot · 27/04/2023 12:07

First of all, ridiculous, why am I being made to do this?

Secondly, does anyone know if I get their original birth certificates back or are they lost for ever?

OP posts:
TeaKitten · 27/04/2023 12:08

Who’s making you do it? Why can’t you just change their names by deed poll anyway?

Original poster
Darkroot · 27/04/2023 12:10

TeaKitten · 27/04/2023 12:08

Who’s making you do it? Why can’t you just change their names by deed poll anyway?

I don’t need to change their names at all! They’ve always had their fathers last name. Apparently it’s a legal requirement that they need to be reregistered after marriage 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 27/04/2023 12:12

I'm sure most people don't do it
The fine is something like £2 if you don't although I've never heard of anyone being caught and/or fined for it

Needmorelego · 27/04/2023 12:14

I did it. Took all of 20 minutes or so. It was just my name changing (and what was listed under my job because I wasn't happy with what I put on the original).
Original copies got shredded. Got new copies.
You don't really need to do it. A lot of people probably don't (or even know this is a 'thing').

TeaKitten · 27/04/2023 12:15

I’ve literally never heard of this before, I got married when DS was 6 months old (he already had DHs name so no name change either). So I’m guessing you can’t get in trouble for it because I’ve no idea what you are talking about 😅 off to google

Original poster
Darkroot · 27/04/2023 12:17

Hmm… shall I just not bother then?
I was told to get it done multiple times (the registrar even reminded me on my wedding day! 🤨)

OP posts:
TeaKitten · 27/04/2023 12:18

Can’t believe I’ve never heard of this! (Just googled) me and DH are about to start divorce though so possibly no point for us.

ArcticSkewer · 27/04/2023 12:18

They just have to tell you, that's their job.
I really wouldn't bother - it has zero impact on anything.

WheelsUp · 27/04/2023 12:18

I never did it either. It's the first time that I've heard of this rule.

DeltaAlphaDelta79 · 27/04/2023 12:19

We thought we had to do this, but we never did. It looks like its a throwback to when illegitimate children were not recognised for inheritancy.

MEN Link

SA LAW

The legal link (SA LAW) refers to an original MN thread and confirms that the old legislation has been replaced by new legislation but the old one was not repealed. So technically still a legal requirement, but not a problem if you don't. I will risk a £2 fine.

The little known law that's confusing parents who got married after having kids

The legislation tells people to re-register their child's birth after they wed

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/law-parents-re-register-birth-13549102

hazelnutlatte · 27/04/2023 12:20

We were told to do this when we got married 10 years ago. We didn't bother. I don't think most people bother. As far as I can tel it will have no impact on my dd whatsoever.

dementedpixie · 27/04/2023 12:21

Plus although it's free to do the update you need to pay for new certificates. Why bother? I'd risk the £2 fine tbh

CrumpetsandJammmm · 27/04/2023 12:22

I remember being given the paperwork to do it years ago and then… Didn’t. Not sure I can be bothered to, the reason why isn’t good enough.

youngestisapsycho · 27/04/2023 12:22

We did this... it just changes their birth certificate to show parents are married.
They advised us to do so, we got married 2 months after she was born.

Can2022getanyworse · 27/04/2023 12:32

Wheen I registered my dc at 7 days old the registrar told me very solemnly that should my partner and I marry, we should re-register the birth in order to legitimise his birth.

Shocker - parents who are not married have babies! I felt awful being told in no uncertain terms that the tiny newborn I was holding was illegitimate.

I did not re-register after marrying 2 years later, and I am now divorced from dc's dad. Meh.

Original poster
Darkroot · 27/04/2023 12:51

I just don’t see the point of it. I know it’s an outdated rule to do with inheritance, it really needs to be revised!

It makes no sense anyway, surely my DC will always be ‘illegitimate’ as I wasn’t married when they were born 🤔

Ah, I might not bother then, one less job to do

OP posts:
Dammitthisisshit · 27/04/2023 12:55

We were told very definitely to do this. Never did 🤷🏻‍♀️. When we had DC we both registered them so DH had parental rights - I could never work out what reregistering gave us.

mamnotmum · 27/04/2023 13:06

Legally you should. It 'legitimatises' the child. I know awful and old fashioned!

You won't get the original birth certificate back.

But longer term when you apply for a passport for baby/child and you tick 'parents married' the birth certificate shows they aren't married so it should (but not always because passport officers don't always pick it up) create a discrepancy and they should decline the passport application.

dementedpixie · 27/04/2023 13:09

@mamnotmum You can apply for a passport without the parents being married so why on earth should that cause an application to be declined?! You don't even need permission of the other parent to apply for a child passport

Needmorelego · 27/04/2023 13:09

@mamnotmum "It's all very old -fashioned" was exactly what the Registrar said when I went to do it 🙂

hoophoophooray · 27/04/2023 13:17

I did because I had 2 before marriage and 1 after - all same Dad. When we went to register number 3, the registrar redid the other two. Not sure I would have bothered had we not had the third.

QuintanaRoo · 27/04/2023 13:22

I never bothered

MissAmbrosia · 27/04/2023 13:25

I never bothered either

elevenplusdilemma · 27/04/2023 13:28

You don't have to but you should, especially if you might have more children.
It's so so with inheritance rights of children who are a product of the marriage vs those that aren't. Or something like that.
I still have my child's original birth certificate- we weren't asked to surrender it when we reregistered.