Re-registering baby

[Brackenswood]

My partner and I are shortly due to get married and I’ve heard from a friend I have to re-register my daughter’s birth.

Does anyone know, is she provided with a new full birth certificate to replace the original or is it just a short copy with her original certificate still being valid?

Also, is it possible to make any amendments to her name at that time? We’re changing our surname to include mine (which wasn’t previously in our plans) so baby’s surname doesn’t currently factor this in.

I re-registered two of my children as they were born before we got married. You get a completely new long birth certificate and the old one becomes void (although I still have them). You can change any details such as their name. Mine already had my husband’s surname and I took his on marriage so we didn’t need to, but the option was there.

It’s technically true that you do - but it’s an outdated bit of law from when illegitimate and legitimate kids had different inheritance rights. That’s not the case any more and most people don’t do it because they don’t realise the law exists - but yes it’s an easy way to change the surname.

I seem to remember being told that we had to re-register at the same office we originally registered at.

What info do you need to do it?

What happens if you don’t do it?

I have done this with two of my DC's just last week when registering our new baby, didn't even know we had to up until then.

I was told that if we didn't re register them as they were born before our marriage that our new DC would have more legal rights than them. It was a simple form and then you have the option to purchase a new birth certificate if you want to. Our registry office said we could keep the old ones however they wouldn't be valid should we ever need to use them for a passport application etc.

I gave up with my DDs, because of Covid there was too long between signatures and the appointment so they couldn't do it.

The registrar didn't really seem like it was essential and they haven't contacted me again since. Makes no difference to passport applications or anything else that I'm aware of.

Why would this be essential? I did this, but not until we had another dc and I wanted their certificates to be similar. I can't imagine there are different laws surrounding legitimate and illegitimate offspring these days, unless you are inheriting a country pile somewhere.

I was told that if we didn't re register them as they were born before our marriage that our new DC would have more legal rights than them

That’s not true. As long as their dad is named on their birth certificate then it doesn’t matter if they’re ‘illegitimate’ or ‘legitimate.’ Obviously this was different in the olden days. This law is outdated and should be abolished.

@LostDaydream I thought exactly the same! I couldn't imagine how any of our children would have different legal rights as they all have the same surname and parents, the registrar didn't go any further in to detail and I didn't ask. I would never have re registered them had I not been registering new DC. It seems very strange when all the details on the original birth certificates remain the same.

We were told the same thing at our CP signing this year. Dp and I have been together 40 years and our children are all in their 30s. With a straight face the registrar said she had to inform us that if we didn't re-register them, any future children could have a stronger claim on our estate. I said that I didn't agree with re-writing history, it was the 21st century and I was in my 60s and didn't envisage having any more children. Such outdated claptrap. Now posters are saying it's not true anyway!

I didn't even know this was a thing? Our 2 eldest DC were born before we got married, no 3 after, all have DH surname

What would happen if DH married someone other than me and had a baby with them? Not going to happen with me. My ovaries packed up years ago. Would those children have more of a right to inherit DP stately pile than our joint children?

Children born within marriage (legitimate) have more legal rights than those born outside of marriage (illegitimate). Yes it's outdated, but it is still law. Worth re-registering children born before marriage but no-one is going to chase you to do so. Having father on the birth certificate gives him equal parental responsibility but this doesn't equate to equal inheritance rights for the child. Re-registration is free, you only pay for the new certificate.
Child's surname can be changed at re-registration to either parent's or a combination thereof.

Is this English law? Or whole UK? I'm in Scotland and I've never heard of this.

That's bollocks.

The law that differentiated between the rights of legitimate and illegitimate children was changed decades ago.

The only consequence of not re-registering is a fine for the princely sum of - wait for it - £2.

It is the law that you have to do it but 🤷‍♀️

Rude. But ok.

Point to note is you can't add on any middle names.
Unless in Ireland!