Do adopted people get a new Birth Certificate?

seven-day-weekend

My adoption certificate is the long one and has my adoptive parents' name and occupation and court details on it.

Pssst

I';m not sure about this so pay me no heed,but didnt various religious organisations have a hand in adoptions in Ireland?

seven-day-weekend

The Church has historically had a hand in adoptions in England too. I was adopted (by atheists) from the Church of England Childrens' Society. It still had to go before a court and be made legal.

jd87

miserly_mum wrote: »

When you say original certificate do you mean the one with his birth name and birth mothers details, because I have that?

That is your birth certificate, your only one. You only get born once!

Craftyscholar

jd87 wrote: »

That is your birth certificate, your only one. You only get born once!

Yes, but when you are adopted your adoption papers with your new name becomes the document you use when asked to provide your full birth certificate so it is a perfectly reasonable query.

Before the law changed you had no access to your pre-adoption details so I was surprised to find that my original birth certificate not only existed but showed up on the microfiche index.

miserly_mum

jd87 wrote: »

That is your birth certificate, your only one. You only get born once!

Of course we only get born once but thank you for pointing that out jd87.

Unfortunately when someone is adopted it's not quite as simple as that. The reason I used the term "original birth certificate" is that I didn't think the one I have in my original name (ie prior to being adopted) would be relevant to applying for i.d because obviously I am called a completely different name now

After reading Craftyscholar's reply I remembered having a short version of a birth certificate in my adopted name for school when I was doing my 11 plus. However as he/she (sorry not sure which ) pointed out this wouldn't be any good for applying for a passport as the long version is required.

So an adopted person can have 2 birth certificates just in different names.

Thanks to all who took time to reply it is much appreciated.

For any adopted persons reading this it is really easy to obtain your original birth certificate if you know even a few basic details of your birth.

There is a kind of urban myth that these certificates are somehow locked away when they are actually as easy to get a copy of as those of someone who hasn't been adopted (if you know a few key pieces of information)

tallyhoh

I have access to the GRO index, if that helps PM me.

Craftyscholar

miserly_mum wrote: »

So an adopted person can have 2 birth certificates just in different names.

For any adopted persons reading this it is really easy to obtain your original birth certificate if you know even a few basic details of your birth.

There is a kind of urban myth that these certificates are somehow locked away when they are actually as easy to get a copy of as those of someone who hasn't been adopted (if you know a few key pieces of information)

As I was adopted under the old closed system (1945) I believed that 'myth' which was why it was such a shock when I saw my old name on the microfiche.
I'm not even sure why I looked unless I wondered if it might be there but scored through or some mark against it.
(I'm female by the way)

miserly_mum

Craftyscholar wrote: »

As I was adopted under the old closed system (1945) I believed that 'myth' which was why it was such a shock when I saw my old name on the microfiche.
I'm not even sure why I looked unless I wondered if it might be there but scored through or some mark against it.
(I'm female by the way)

Well i've just went onto the Registrar General NI website to order a birth certificate and the choice was either birth certificate or birth certificate for adopted people.

I had a choice of short or long version so I chose long. It'll be interesting to see what arrives in the post next week.

Loretta

I was adopted in 1950 and have used the short birth certificate with my adopted name on it for everything it has adopted on it, there is no need for complicated things. Obtaining your original birth certificate is quite a different thing and these days you just ask for it and get it. I know somwone who was told she had to have counselling before she got it and is still one the waiting list for that and in the meantime she has got her original birth certificate. I got my original birth certificate over 10 years ago and was told the same. Social Services told me it was not urgent and they would get round to me eventually when they had time, it is urgent because parents etc are getting older and it may be too late. Guessing that they would be inefficient I got my certificate and in a couple of hours was talking to my birth family in Ireland and a couple of days later had gone over to meet them. By the time SS got round to me I had forgotten I had ever spoken to them and they told me I had done it all wrong - Oh well!!