Birth Certificate Question

mpotts09

Long story short, father of baby hasn't been around whole entire pregnancy bc he thinks the baby could be someone else's. If I don't put him on the b.c. does that get him out of paying child support? If I don't put him on, I will get full control, but if I do put him on, he will have 50% control...Idk what to do! I think it's easier to put his name on there, than to take it off. So I think I'll just leave it off for now...anyone else have this problem?

WhatDidIDoWrong

You can't just put his name on the birth certificate if you are not married. He has to sign the acknowledgement of paternity. 

My son's father isn't on his birth certificate and he pays child support. We had to have a DNA test before it started but he is still responsible.

My son's father and I have 50/50 legal custody without him being on the BC and I have full custody with him having partial visitation. This only happened because he filed for it. 

PrincessFiona9

He would have to be there to sign the birth certificate in order to put his name on it while you're in the hospital. After the fact, he would have to sign an paper saying he acknowledges paternity and wants to be put on the birth certificate.

I couldn't put ex on DD's because he was in jail when she was born. But we just finished the whole court process yesterday and the judge is having the BC amended to add his name since the DNA test showed he is the father etc.

The benefit of not having his name on the BC was that until the court process was finished he did not have any rights to DD. I got sole legal and physical custody too, though, so he still can't take her outside of the agreed visitation times.

preggersin2011

Your state law might not allow you to even put any name except the biological mother and person you were/are legally married to during your gestation period, even if your legal spouse isnt the biological father. All the laws about that type of thing are usually available on a a government website if you google search for your state. Where i live you have to file a paternity form, and then you can file a custody form. I think if you file out the paternity form at the hospital the name can go on the birth certificate rather than having to amend it (?) 

FyreFlyeRush

Researching stuff like this is really hard, because 95% of what you find is related to couples who were married. If you were never married, then the father has no rights to the child until paternity is LEGALLY established. Putting his name on the birth certificate doesn't make him the father. There is generally a form that has to be signed. 

My daughter has my last name, and the birth certificate says Unspecified for father. However, I have a court order saying who the father is, and he pays child support. I am sole legal and physical custodian, meaning he doesn't have any say in anything I do with her.

Because you've never been married, the father will get visitation, but the court should make you sole legal and physical custodian. He can ask for a paternity test.