Kids - Indianapolis,IN

Updated on January 19, 2010
K.M. asks from Indianapolis, IN
14 answers

if i didnt want to put the actul father on my child's birth certificat and i want to put his basicly dad ( my feonsay) on there ,can i ? and how would i do that if i have already sent everything in? thanks everyone

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C.

answers from Cleveland on

Like Amanda said, I think I remember reading that what you want to do is illegal. I imagine a government website would give you the information you are looking for.

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D.K.

answers from Indianapolis on

Are you kidding me? It's a BIRTH certificate!! What happens if down the road your child needs a kidney, bone marrow, etc and the father's name is falisfied and no one can locate him? Even worse, if he or she is older and needs to get in touch with the birth parent and you're not even alive to tell anyone who the real father is? Think ahead here. Not only that, I'm not sure if by law you can falisy a record like that, KNOWING full well who the father is. On top of that, these days, if there is any ?, a paternity test would be done for verification.

NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! you need to list the biological father on the birth certificate!

3 moms found this helpful
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J.F.

answers from Toledo on

Your fiance needs to fill out a paternity affidavit. This is a form that you each fill out stating that "Bob" is the legal father of "this child." Please be aware though that this gives your fiance full legal rights as this childs father. This also means he has the right to fight for custody in the event that you separate. You also waive the right to child support from the biological father unless you are willing to undergo a DNA test...which will in turn give him the right to have the birth certificate changed. I have a similar situation with my second child. Her bio has never met her nor has he had any interest in doing so. She had my last name on her birth certificate, but he was listed. My husband has raised her since she was 3 weeks old and is the only "dad" she has ever known. Before we were married, we had her last name changed (via a legal name change in probate court) to my husbands last name. After the marriage, he legally adopted her and is now listed on her birth certificate as her father, and the bio is no longer an issue.

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T.J.

answers from Los Angeles on

I think you can do that. The only thing that might pose a problem is if you ever want to gain child support from the father you may not have a legal leg to stand on.

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L.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

I think for the childs sake u should list the biological father on his/hers birth certificate.He may not be involved right now but some day ur child may want to know who he is The person u want to put on the birth certificate can adopt the child.

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A.H.

answers from Dayton on

That would be false information, if you know for a fact your fiance is not the father. So, no, you should not list him on the birth certificate. I'm pretty sure it is illegal anyway.

Also, once you have sent in the information, you cannot take it back.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.B.

answers from Columbus on

K.,
Hi, It sounds like you have a confusing situation on your hands. I only know that if biological Dad signed the birth certificate in the hospital that it is legal and binding. I am almost certain that you cannot change a legal document easily, you should probably contact your county's records department and ask them(I would imagine you can search for the number online.
Your fiance can adopt your child through step-parent adoption when you two are married if certain conditions are met. That might be the best way to go for you and would make your future husband your sons legal parent in the same way his name on a birth certificate would. Good Luck!

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C.B.

answers from Cleveland on

If didn't put the birth father's name on it, but you now want to add your fiance's name it shouldn't be a problem. If you did add the birth father's name already, you will probably have to go to court to change it. It can be really tricky, best advice contact a lawyer for a free consult. BUT if the baby's father wants to contest anything he can. Once paperwork's been through the system already it can be a nightmare!

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A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

What you are talking about is illegal. The father on the birth certificate must legally be the parents of the child. Unless your fiance adopts your child, legally, his name cannot be on the birth certificate. Not only that, but the birth certificate is used to consider child support, and so if you put the fiance on there, you will have a lot more trouble going after the biological father in the future. Put the real father on there, and then if your fiance adopts your son, he'll legally be the father anyway.

Please remember, though, that if your fiance adopts your child, that gives him equal rights, and if the two of you ever break up, your fiance could possibly get sole custody of the child. This takes a lot of consideration - it maybe be the right decision for you, but please make sure you think about it.

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M.Z.

answers from Indianapolis on

You can change it but you should really consider what you really want to do. A fiance doesn't mean anything permanent. Unless he is adopting your child I would leave the boilogical father on there. You can't take away his right as a parent just because you found a more fit partner for yourself. You'll never get child support unless you fight for a DNA test which is costly too. Once you're actually married I'd consider it again, but just wait and see how life plays out for you.

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J.C.

answers from Chicago on

why would you do something so foolish. just because you change guys doesnt mean you should falsify a birth certificate. you should wait to see how things work out with the new guy before you make any changes, legally & make sure he is up for the role of fatherhood.

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H.D.

answers from Cincinnati on

The way they did with my fiance who was the father but we weren't married was just make us watch some video and I do remember them saying that they do that for the child's non-biological fathers as well but they just have to watch the video

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A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

It is illegal to put a man you know is not the father on the birth certificate. Leave the birth certificate blank, if you want - that is legal. Then have your fiance adopt the kid when you get married.

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K.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

You do not have to list anyone as the father on the birth certificate and it is not illegal. My mother never put my bio dad's name on mine and when she married, they just went to the clerk's office to fill out a form that stated he was the father.

Do not feel pressured to put the bio dad's name on the certificate. You can go to the clerk's office and they will tell you want forms to fill out, etc. If there already is a name on the birth certificate, you may have to go through adoption proceedings to get it changed, but if there is no name, it's just a matter of filing out forms.

Many people don't understand doing this, but if the bio dad is not a part of your life, it can be a tremendous help when you find the man who will actually be the dad. You can always talk to your child later and explain everything to him. I am living proof that sometimes it's better not to know.

Hope this helps!

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