two mums on birth certificate

[lululu]

:detective: can anyone advise on the current legal issues/situation with two mums on a birth certificate? My wife and I are trying to get pregnant.Valentine We live in Sydney but understand that if we have our baby in sydney (or anywhere in NSW for that matter) we can only put my wifes name on the birth certificate, as the birth mother, and "donor" or "unknown" or "withheld" where it says "father"...:thumbsdown: BUT... if we go to Canberra (which is our plan) we can put both mothers names on the childs birth cert., Hers next to "mother", and mine next to "father/parent". Anyone in Canberra know about this? Anyone know of a way we can have our baby at home and still have both mums on the certificate???

[Duchessa]

As far as I know, you fill out your own baby's birth certificate, so if you are in Canberra where you say it is already allowed, you can just fill it in yourself.

Hey, that was very interesting - I just read through the Parentage Act for ACT and if you do have the child in NSW, as far as I can make out, you can then go to the ACT and declare parentage and have the certificate amended.

Here is a link for the application to declare parentage http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/af/2007-29/default.asp

Thanks for the inspiration to read that doc, it was quite interesting :) and good luck with getting the parenting on paper.

[Duchessa]

Just in addition, as far as I can remember you have a few weeks to complete the registration - perhaps you could post the document from NSW. Don't know what the deal is with residency and so on, but it might save you some hassle.

[Roxy]

I don't remember the forms being any different...I *thought* that they did say mother/father here?

I have just looked at DS's birth certificate (the one actually issued by BDM), and it has mother and father on it.

You don't actually fill in the brith certificate yourself - just the registration of birth forms.

Maybe ring BDM here in Canberra and ask them - their phone number is (02) 6207 0460

[lululu]

Thanks Duchessa and Roxy, for the info, link and number. I've heard somethingh else today which I find to be quite unbelievable. That is, even if we get both our names on the birth certificate I, as the non-birth mother, would still have no "parental rights" so we would STILL have to go to the family law court for a "shared parenting order"!!! :confused: How can this be??? :banghead:

[karmalunar]

Come to WA! We can have both same-sex parents on the birth certificate, (they actually have seperate forms specifically for this!). Both mums also have equal parenting rights, apparently, or something pretty good and fair, (if it's not that.) We have access to fertility clinics, no probs there, and i think we can also legally adopt! But the ridiculous thing is that we cant self-inseminate!!! Heard interstate they even have "classes" on how to do it :smiliedance:
How cool is that?! Anyways, it's about time Australia in whole became a little bit more progressive i'd say!

[lululu]

it's about time Australia in whole became a little bit more progressive i'd say... I'm with you there sister!:yes:

[lululu]

oh my computer illiteracy has caught up with me. My quotey thing didn't work. It just appears I've plagerized you! And I may have misspelt plagerized ;)

[karmalunar]

Haha, got what ya meant! Good luck 2 u and your partner!
We are so excited, think we have ourselves a donor... thought we'd be doing the 2 and a half year thing, waiting to get in to a clinic... but, friends knowing of our plight have offered to help!! :angel:

[lululu]

Yahoo to generous friends with sperm! :smiliedance: Good luck to you guys Karmalunar!

[katiana]

hey lululu, just read ure thread, my plans where to head to canberra, but being a w.a. lover i just think we shall head out there ............




i too think australia caught up with this same sex parenting, it aint going away, so how about making it equal.!





pm me, im too from sydney, we could be neighbours :)

[katiana]

wow, i knew about the canberra bit but the w.a.??? where may i get this info?? does baby need be born there??? inform me oh wise ones.

[lululu]

Hi Katiana :wave: I understand the pm bit means private message(?) but I have limited computer skills and no idea how to "go private"... so, we live near Newtown, in the inner west. Are we neighbours? Or near enough? Perhaps we'll end up at the same pre-natal class or playgroup! I have a friend in Canberra with political connections doing some research for me about the birth certificate/parenting rights issue so I'll get back to you when she gets back to me.

[MountainGirl]

:wave: Hi Lululu! I live in Marrickville,.. so,..we are neighbours! (sorry about the random introduction though:o ),....

[katiana]

^^ thanks lululu, cant wait to hear the updates.

i dont live near newtown but i visit it alot :)

ive actually moved recently, closer to the sea.





please keep me posted on the parenting issues.