When you have a child, you should ensure that you register their birth within 42 days. A mother has the legal right to register the birth of their child. She can do so with the child's father or on her own. Unlike the mother of the child, a father is only allowed to register the birth of his child on his own if he was married to the child's mother at the time of conception, if he fills in a statutory declaration form or gets a court order along with a parental responsibility order.
If the father is not married to the mother of the child but goes with her to register the birth, he will be given parental responsibility for the child along with the mother.
If for any reason, the parents of the child cannot go and register the birth, the responsibility will go to whoever looks after the child.
In the UK it is free to register a child's birth. To register a birth you need to go to the registers office in the area that the child was born and register with the registrar of births and deaths. If you are unable to get to the area that the child was born for any reasons, you can register in the register office which is nearest to you and have the registrar send off the relevant information back to the office where the child was born.
If a birth does not get registered within the 42 day period it can still be possible to register some time later. To do this you will have to send of as much detail that you have about the birth, including the location, date of the birth and names of the mother and father if possible. This information should be sent to
GRO Corrections
PO Box 476
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 2WJ
PO Box 476
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 2WJ
If you have a child abroad but are a British citizen, you can register the child's either at the British Consul or High Commission.
There are no laws regarding what you can name a child. This goes for surnames as well as first names. It is always advisable to think of a child's welfare when choosing a name.
You should be provided with a basic copy of the birth certificate when you go and register the birth, this will be accepted for most official purposes. If for any reason you need another copy of the birth certificate you can apply for one though the post, online or by phone. You will have to pay a fee for the new copy.
If you are adopted and you want to get a copy of your original birth certificate, as long as you are over the age of 18, you will be able to go to the register office where your birth was registered and get a copy. You can also get hold of the adoption certificate if you wish which will provide you with information surrounding your adoption.
For more legal advice and information, and for free legal resources visit lawontheweb.co.uk
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