How to check whether mum and dad are actually married

nigem

One other scenario is if their wedding was very close to the birth of a first child. It wasn't the thing to announce in those days, in our family we only realised at their Golden wedding when their child was 50 in 2 months.

[Deleted User]

Hi.

OP you don't  give us much information to help you, what age are you now, did you never query before,  was there never any happy anniversary get togethers with friends or family, did you never wonder why, before now?

Spendless

F37A said:

Sarahspangles said:

Are you asking because your parents may have married under Sharia law?

I'm asking as then if not married the property could be lost. i.e would not pass to my mother or her children

Why don't you believe anything would pass to your Dad's children? You're going to have to give more details so people can help you with your question. 

Emmia

F37A said:

Sarahspangles said:

Are you asking because your parents may have married under Sharia law?

I'm asking as then if not married the property could be lost. i.e would not pass to my mother or her children

You need to stop being squeamish, and just ask the question - it's perfectly straightforward. 

Why won't you ask? Are you worried they'll be offended in some way? Or that you'll be uncovering a massive family secret?

How is the property owned? Joint bank accounts? Are there previous marriages or children? Who might be the executor of your Dad's will if he has one?

Mojisola

Spendless said:

F37A said:

I'm asking as then if not married the property could be lost. i.e would not pass to my mother or her children

Why don't you believe anything would pass to your Dad's children?

If the parents aren't married and there isn't a will in which the mother is a beneficiary, she won't inherit anything from his estate under the intestacy rules.

The estate will be divided between his children.

Spendless

Mojisola said:

Spendless said:

F37A said:

I'm asking as then if not married the property could be lost. i.e would not pass to my mother or her children

Why don't you believe anything would pass to your Dad's children?

If the parents aren't married and there isn't a will in which the mother is a beneficiary, she won't inherit anything from his estate under the intestacy rules.

The estate will be divided between his children.

Yes I 'm aware which is  exactly why I replied as per  quote 'why don't you believe anything would pass to your Dad's children?'  in answer which is  also quoted  OP saying 'I'm asking as then  if not married the property could be lost ie would not pass to my mother or her children'

The OP hasn't said he's not talking about a biological Dad or someone who legally adopted him. He's  just asked is are his Mum and Dad married and how can he find out.

That's why he needs to supply more details.    

theonlywayisup

Flugelhorn said:

xylophone said:

Do you have your own full birth certificate?

https://www.ukbaptisms.net/cert_sample.htm

this is key - if mum registered you on her own and put Dad's details in then highly likely they were married. If they both turned up then it could be either way 

A mother can only register on her own and add dad's details if they were married/cp at the time of baby being born (in England and Wales).

If they both turned up to register, if they were married/cp then only one signature will appear on the register/certificate.

If they both turned up to register and both signatures appear on the register/certificate then they were NOT married/cp at time of baby's birth. 

This doesn't help you establish if they were later married, although there is a legal requirement for unmarried parents to re-register a child after their marriage/cp regardless of date.  So in essence, if you were a child of a non married couple and then they married, they should legally have re registered your birth even if you were 30 when their marriage occurred. 

Flugelhorn

ah yes @theonlywayisup - forgotten about the 2 signatures! Yes that does make it clearer.

My two had one signature and parents with different surnames - registrar was pointing this out to a trainee at the time as it was a variant she hadn't seen

Spendless

Dad can register a birth on his own is he is married (and nowadays that would include a cp). Mr S registered both of ours as I was in hospital with both for a week after they were born.  

theonlywayisup

Spendless said:

Dad can register a birth on his own is he is married (and nowadays that would include a cp). Mr S registered both of ours as I was in hospital with both for a week after they were born.  

Yes a dad can register on his own if he is married or in CP with the birth mother.   There would still only be one signature on the register/certificate.