questions & answers

Question: We need to add my name to the birth certificate of our daughter. We have my wife's divorce paperwork stating by the judge that I am the natural father. But the Office of Vital Statistics stated that a court must also include an order to add my name to the birth certificate. How do I go about accomplishing this? Thank you.

Answer: The information at the Arizona Department of Health Services should be helpful to you. Generally to add a father to the birth certificate, paternity must first be established by either court order or an Acknowledgment of Paternity. Once paternity has been established, an Affidavit to Correct or Amend a Birth Certificate can be used to add the father’s name to the child’s birth certificate. The website above will walk you through the steps. According to the Office of Vital Statistics, a court order is not needed simply to add the parent’s name to the birth certificate. If the parent is changing their name or used an alias and wants their current name to be reflected on the birth certificate of their child, a court order may be needed. The Office of Vital Statistics addresses that here.