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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not re-register the births of my children after getting married?

71 replies

TiredyCustards · 01/07/2013 07:27

DP and I have been together nearly 10 years, and are getting married in a couple of weeks.

We have 2 DC, and aren't in the least bit bothered about not being married when they were born.

It seems we're supposed to re-register the DC after getting married to make them 'children of the marriage' or some such guff about legitimacy.

AIBU to not bother - I find it a bit offensive that we're expected to re-write history, as if being born out of wedlock is still something to be ashamed of.

Also, would anything happen if we didn't?

OP posts:
Rowgtfc72 · 01/07/2013 07:35

We were in the same position last year. You don't have to legally re-register your children. We chose to as I liked the idea of her being a child of our marriage. Though I was a bit put out when I realised they were trying to call her illegitimate !

DuffyMoon · 01/07/2013 07:35

we didnt and nothing has happened so far...YANBU

ArabellaBeaumaris · 01/07/2013 07:37

YANBU.

We haven't either, for the same reasons. My parents didn't re register me & it's made zero difference to my life...

Original poster
TiredyCustards · 01/07/2013 07:37

Row the way the registrar spoke about it suggested it was a legal requirement, can't remember her exact words.

OP posts:
BuggerLumpsAnnoyed · 01/07/2013 07:39

I know what you mean, it's made it sound like we would have to buy it is been two years and nothing happened

DuffyMoon · 01/07/2013 07:49

17 years here...maybe a generational thing ?

Burmobasher · 01/07/2013 07:58

We re-registered dc1 after we married. Simply because in the eyes of the law dc2 (who was born after we were married) had more legal rights to any inheritance when we died and we wanted them to be treated equally and afford them the same legal protection.
This is what we were advised to do by the registrar.
I guess if you don't plan on having any more kids then its not such an issue? I would double check though.

gintastic · 01/07/2013 08:01

I reregistered my older 2 otherwise they would have had different inheritance rights to my youngest, as we married in between having no2 and no3... It may not matter now but if either of you go on to marry and have more children, it could affect them.

AKissIsNotAContract · 01/07/2013 08:02

Do you both have wills? Do you plan to have more children?

tinierclanger · 01/07/2013 08:06

I thought you had to? Although I forgot totally so it was 2 years before we re registered DS. For some reason I found it amusingly archaic rather than offensive. Smile

FrustratedSycamoresRocks · 01/07/2013 08:06

OP I only recently discovered this when I registered dc3s birth.
But I suppose, traditionally, being a boy, he'd be the only true heir to the estate anyway.
Pah, what estate. Grin

Yanbu

OnTheNingNangNong · 01/07/2013 08:08

I need to do this, it's about equal inheritance and not being classed as illegitimate in the eyes of the law.

perplexedpirate · 01/07/2013 08:08

Never bothered here. 1DS, no more planned.
Mind you, I haven't got round to adding DH's name to most things and we've been married 4 years.
Fuss about nothing if you ask me.

Original poster
TiredyCustards · 01/07/2013 08:13

I don't think it does affect inheritance anymore, we havewills anyway.

OP posts:
Original poster
TiredyCustards · 01/07/2013 08:13

We might have 1 more dc!

OP posts:
ArabellaBeaumaris · 01/07/2013 08:14

Why does the inheritance thing matter if you have wills? DP & I both have mirrored wills leaving our estate equally to our children. Does illegitimacy override last will & testament?

DoctorRobert · 01/07/2013 08:15

yabu if you have any more children, as they would be entitled to inheritance, not the existing children.

ProfYaffle · 01/07/2013 08:16

The registrar told us it made no difference legally but that someone who knew what they were looking at would know from the Birth certificate that we weren't married when we had dd1. She said so long as we weren't bothered about that there was no real need to re-register.

ArabellaBeaumaris · 01/07/2013 08:17

www.inbrief.co.uk/estate-law/making-a-dependency-claim.htm

Look here under the children bit. Family Law Act 1987 gave illegitimate & legitimate children the same right to inherit.

BinkyBinkleBinkster · 01/07/2013 08:17

It is archaic and ridiculous.

It feels like you're trying to hide the fact they were born out of marriage. Which is hard if they show in all the photos as bridesmaids.

BabsAndTheRu · 01/07/2013 08:17

Never knew you had to do this, is it the same in Scotland? Been together 12 yrs with 3 DCs and planning to get married next year.

CatInWellies · 01/07/2013 08:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pommedechocolat · 01/07/2013 08:22

We did it. I thought we had to. Pee'd me off no end. Just as attitudes to dh and I having her before getting married did (mainly my friends I guess).
Pathetic.

MrsPennyapple · 01/07/2013 08:28

We have only just got married so haven't done it yet but we plan to, for inheritance reasons as mentioned above. We live in the Isle of Man though and some of the laws are not quite the same here. Otherwise we wouldn't bother.

scaevola · 01/07/2013 08:30

It's archaic, but it is still the law.