Page 2 | Do we need to re-register DD?

ColdShouldersWarmTummy · 2021-12-08T22:10:20+00:00

Recently married my partner. After the ceremony the woman at the register office gave us a form and told us we should re-register our baby.. she said something about inheritance and that she might be disadvantaged as born to unmarried parents. Is that really still true? Neither of us has older children and we don't plan on having any more (we're very old!) so it's only her. No one is changing names. Is it necessary?

CornishGem1975 · 09/12/2021 08:37

Never did it with my DC and now I am divorced. Where does that leave them?!

Change123today · 09/12/2021 08:43

We had to do back in 2003 as our daughter was born before the rules changed later in 2003.

This meant her dad my husband had parental rights etc we literally sat in the register office in our wedding outfits getting our daughters birth certificate re - registered at the same time as being married.

If she was born a year later it wouldn’t have been needed , as the rules changed if unmarried and the fathers name on the birth certificate then he then had parental rights. I didn’t think you would now need to re-register unless you wanted your married name on the certificate?

prh47bridge · 09/12/2021 09:07

@CornishGem1975

Never did it with my DC and now I am divorced. Where does that leave them?!

It makes no difference to them.

prh47bridge · 09/12/2021 09:12

@Change123today

We had to do back in 2003 as our daughter was born before the rules changed later in 2003.

This meant her dad my husband had parental rights etc we literally sat in the register office in our wedding outfits getting our daughters birth certificate re - registered at the same time as being married.

If she was born a year later it wouldn’t have been needed , as the rules changed if unmarried and the fathers name on the birth certificate then he then had parental rights. I didn’t think you would now need to re-register unless you wanted your married name on the certificate?

The law requiring re-registration if the parents marry has not changed. However, the fine for failing to re-register is only £2.

Legoisthebest · 09/12/2021 09:24

It is just basically in the eyes of the law defining the difference between 'illegitimate' children and 'legitimate' children. Even if the Dad is on the birth certificate if the parents are unmarried the baby is technically (legally) 'illegitimate'.
As I said earlier up thread - the Registrar said "it's all a bit old fashioned".

Kitkat151 · 09/12/2021 09:34

@firstimemamma

You don't have to do it but you really should and it does have an impact on the dad's parental responsibility. We got married when ds was a toddler and re-registered his birth. Was a 20 minute appointment and it feels good to know that it's done and dusted now. I'd recommend it.

What impact? Why do you recommend it? What feels good?🙄 Unmarried fathers have had PR for their children since 2003.... so nothing will change for OP

firstimemamma · 09/12/2021 09:48

@Kitkat151 Hi, I can't remember the full ins and outs but we read some info on our council's recently updated website about it and the lady who did it also recommended it but as I said it's not essential just a good idea. Sorry if I have offended you.

prh47bridge · 09/12/2021 09:51

Unmarried fathers have had PR for their children since 2003.... so nothing will change for OP

No, unmarried fathers do not automatically get PR. Marrying the mother after birth does not automatically give them PR either. If an unmarried father is not named on the birth certificate and subsequently marries the mother, they will not have PR unless they re-register the birth, enter into a Parental Responsibility Agreement with the mother or get a court order.

SilverDragonfly1 · 10/12/2021 18:00

Wow, nobody has ever mentioned this to me! It seems a bit late now as my son is 28 and his dad and I got married 27 years ago...

knittingaddict · 11/12/2021 08:10

@SilkLabrador

Yes. You should.

If DH remarries, has another child in wedlock and then dies without a will, everything will pass to the child born in wedlock.

Where on earth did you get that from? Where do you live that this can be true? It's certainly not the case in England.

sakura06 · 11/12/2021 08:23

You are meant to. We haven't for our eldest who is 10. My parents haven't for me either and had never heard of it!

hotmeatymilk · 11/12/2021 08:26

Oh, we were told this when we registered DD that we’d have to do it again if we got married. It puts me off marrying (which I only want to do for the inheritance tax issue) because I want her to have her original birth certificate, not some Johnny-come-lately replacement for no reason. No one will be changing names or job titles or anything, why is it necessary?!

OnlyAFleshWound · 11/12/2021 10:57

@hotmeatymilk

Oh, we were told this when we registered DD that we’d have to do it again if we got married. It puts me off marrying (which I only want to do for the inheritance tax issue) because I want her to have her original birth certificate, not some Johnny-come-lately replacement for no reason. No one will be changing names or job titles or anything, why is it necessary?!

It is crazy to base your decision on whether or not to get married on this

NynaeveSedai · 11/12/2021 11:16

@hotmeatymilk

Oh, we were told this when we registered DD that we’d have to do it again if we got married. It puts me off marrying (which I only want to do for the inheritance tax issue) because I want her to have her original birth certificate, not some Johnny-come-lately replacement for no reason. No one will be changing names or job titles or anything, why is it necessary?!

Given that the fine for not doing it is apparently £2 and seemingly is not enforced I think you can safely ignore such a law

prh47bridge · 11/12/2021 13:03

@hotmeatymilk

Oh, we were told this when we registered DD that we’d have to do it again if we got married. It puts me off marrying (which I only want to do for the inheritance tax issue) because I want her to have her original birth certificate, not some Johnny-come-lately replacement for no reason. No one will be changing names or job titles or anything, why is it necessary?!

It is only necessary because the law says so. If your partner is already on the birth certificate, it makes no difference to anything. Given that the fine for not doing this is only £2, you can ignore this safely. It certainly shouldn't stop you from marrying you partner.