A birth certificate is one of the most important documents a person can have. While there may be times when it can just be stored away for years, there will be occasions when producing it will be vital – such as when registering a child for school, applying for a passport for them, or if the child grows up and one day decides that they wish to get married.
For traditional births, it is usually the mother whose name automatically goes on the birth certificate and that of the other parent if they are married to the mother at the time of the birth. Unmarried couples will need to take additional steps to ensure the second parent’s name is on the certificate, should they so wish.
For those parents who are intending to use a surrogate to have a child, understanding what, if anything, will be different regarding their child’s birth certificate is vital. Getting it right at the outset could spare them and their child problems further down the line.
How does Minnesota handle things?
As we have mentioned in an earlier post, Minnesota is one of the states that does not have specific statutes to cover surrogacy. Instead, the parents involved need to be very clear and proactive about establishing their legal rights. It will typically require the full cooperation of the surrogate mother for the prospective parents to do this.
So, if you are having a child by a surrogate, and the birth will take place within Minnesota, then it is crucial to seek legal guidance on the steps required to ensure your child’s birth certificate reflects things as you and your forthcoming child need it to. There is simply too much at stake to try doing it alone.