Re registering child birth certificates after marriage?

[Vallmo47]

Been informed by local council that we have to re register our children because they were born before we got married. Same dad on both certificates, kids both teens. Just wondering what would happen if I didn’t do this (money is tight and it’s difficult for me to get appointment in town etc). Literally the only thing that’s changed is my surname.

Thank you!

You can be fined.

But this law is, I think, only still on the books because no-one has ever got round to tidying it away.

For some reason it's stuck in my mind that the fine is One Guinea, but I think the real maximum fine is £2 (which is, presumably, why no-one ever gets prosecuted - too much admin hassle)

None of us had passports so when our eldest applies we had to re register them - very bloody stressful!

It's actually to do with inheritance laws and them being legitimate children

How strange, so even though that was the correct name for you at the time of the birth?

Nothing will happen to you although it is a requirement under the registration act. The re-registered birth entry will show your children as children of your marriage, so your married and maiden name will be recorded and there will only be one informant required. There’s no charge, the only fee will be for any certificates if you choose to buy them.

Ours was a hassle because we had moved far far away and I had asked DH to sort it before we moved 🙄 we had to use express postal and services due to needing the passport issuing.

As @meditrina says, the maximum fine for failing to re-register within 3 months of marriage or entering a civil partnership is £2. It was set in 1975, so compared to average wages it was equivalent to a fine of around £25 today. Of course, there is no way the authorities will pursue you for a £2 fine.

@RandomMess may be interested to know that it is actually nothing to do with inheritance laws. When the relevant law was passed, the parents marrying made the child legitimate regardless of whether the birth was re-registered. Since 1987, illegitimate children have had the same rights to inheritance as legitimate children.

Thank you all!
A few of you mentioned having to do it to get passports - my children’s passports have expired. Do you mean that I need to have this done in order for them to issue their passports in future?
I’m happy to get this done but they told me I have to buy the new certificates as well. Looking at their current birth certificates, the only thing that appears to change is my surname, so it feels like a wasted cost for myself.

If they already have (expired) passports it's fine. It was only because mine had never had passports and it was application for a first ever one as an adult.

I always assumed it was because the law around re registering hadn't caught up with the 1987 change of law regarding inheritance!

My first son was registered 10 months before I married his father. We never reregistered after we got married. He got his first passport at 3 years old it wasn't an issue. I think we had to send off copies of marriage certificate etc but were never told we had to reregister him or anything.

Thank you all!