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If you want your child to get health insurance through their biological father, having the father on the birth certificate can serve as documentation that the child is the father's, paving the way for getting coverage authorized. Another reason to list the father on the birth certificate is that this documentation will allow your child to receive death benefits, such as Social Security or a continuation of child support, in the event of the father's death.
If the father is not on the child's birth certificate, paternity would need to be proved in another way. While there are significant benefits to listing a child's father on their birth certificate, there are some potentially huge drawbacks, particularly if your relationship with the child's father is contentious or unhealthy.
Putting them on this official form links them to your child, and there are many legitimate reasons that this may not be in your child's or your own best interests. Once a father is one the birth certificate, you are officially declaring them to be the child's father. This gives the father the ability to assert parental rights, including custody and visitation rights , at any time. Of course, not being on the birth certificate does nothing to prevent the father, assuming they know they are the father, from requesting custody rights.
If you don't want the father to be involved in the child's life, for whatever reason, you may decide that it's best not to put them on the birth certificate. Another consideration to weigh is the impact naming your child's father on their birth certificate may have on your ability to make parental decisions. Key choices, such as those relating to health care treatments, moving to a new city or state, and registering the child for school or activities, may become challenging, as you might need to get the other parent's agreement and signature.
Sometimes, you may even need a court order to make basic choices if the other parent cannot be located or does not agree with your decisions. Taking children out of the country, particularly if they do not have the same last name as you do, becomes another hurdle.
You may be required to provide a certified letter at border crossings that gives you permission from the father to travel with your child. If there is no father listed on the birth certificate, you can bring that document with you, which would establish you as sole guardian for travel purposes.
Additionally, if the father is on the birth certificate, the mother can only get a passport issued for the child if both parents are present at the passport office or if the mother has a notarized letter from the father giving their permission.
In other circumstances, you may not want to list the father due to infidelity yours or the father's and the potential negative fallout that putting them on the form might create.
You'll want to carefully weigh all the potential benefits and drawbacks as well as the wishes and rights of everyone involved as you make your decision. There are two ways to add a father's name to the birth certificate.
The simplest circumstance is adding the name when the form is initially created, which is usually done before leaving the hospital. In this case, all the mother needs to do is to include the father's name on the form and, in the case of unmarried parenting, the father also needs to complete the AOP. The second scenario is when the father was not on the original birth certificate and is added after it was issued.
When this happens, paperwork and usually a fee is required to make the change and have the form reissued. This step is done via your local vital records office. Hospitals generally require the following information to add a father to a single mother's child's birth certificate:. Although it is preferable for parents to add a father's name to the child's birth certificate at the time of birth, it is possible to add the father's name to a child's birth certificate after it is issued.
Although the process varies by state, to amend the child's birth certificate after it's issued, a parent would need to do the following:. A new birth certificate with the child's name will then be sent to the parents, though it may take a month or more to receive it.
There are many scenarios in which mothers will find themselves weighing whether or not to add the father's name to a child's birth certificate. Of many variables to consider, perhaps the most significant is the impact this decision may have on your child's and your own relationship with their father going forward, potentially for the rest of your lives. In the end, it's a personal choice, with the well-being of your child at its center.
For expert guidance tailored to your unique circumstances, speak with a qualified attorney in your state. Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Rights of Unmarried Fathers. Updated August National Conference of State Legislatures. Child Support Tutorial. Updated April 13, If he's reluctant, you could request paternity testing after your baby is born.
If you decide to file for child support , the state will conduct paternity testing for you. Deciding whether to name your child's father on their birth certificate doesn't end there. Here are some quick reference answers to more of the most frequently asked questions:.
You would both have to sign an affidavit legally acknowledging him as the birth father. The hospital can provide you with this paperwork after the birth.
If he happens to be there, he can fill out the paperwork in person. If not, he can complete the affidavit later. No, you can choose to give your baby your last name, the father's last name, or a hyphenated combination of both. If you don't include him on the birth certificate at the time of your baby's birth, you can later have the birth certificate amended.
Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Rights of Unmarried Fathers. Updated August Office of Child Support Enforcement. Establishing fatherhood. In: Child Support Handbook. National Conference of State Legislatures. Child Support Tutorial. Updated April 13, Child Support Services Division. Birth certificates.
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