Welcoming a new baby into the world doesn’t just come with a whole host of emotions – but similarly, countless paperwork, like registering their birth.
But the work doesn’t stop in the months after their birth, as parents who had their children before they got married have been warned not to neglect one crucial piece of admin: re-registering their births.
Failing to do so within three months of marriage could result in a £2 fine.
In the grand scheme of things, it might not seem like much – after all, it’s less than a coffee these days – but it’s a legal technicality that doesn’t depend on how old your child is. If they’re under 18, their paperwork needs to be updated.
As per Hitched’s 2024 National Wedding Survey, one in four couples already have children before they get married – and one expert has warned that many aren’t aware of this bit of paperwork.
‘If you have children prior to marriage and you are marrying the parent of that child, you do need to re-register your children after you’ve got married,’ Hitched’s wedding editor Zoe Burke explains in one TikTok video.
Introduced as part of the Legitimacy Act 1976, the policy’s age explains why the fine is so small — it hasn’t been updated in almost fifty years. It’s also unclear how often this rule is enforced, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
In Zoe’s opinion, the rule is ‘outdated’ – as it dates back to a time when children who were born out of marriage, or out of wedlock, were seen as ‘illegitimate.’
‘By getting married and updating the register, you were showing that your child had now been “legitimised,”’ Zoe explains.
‘The reason for this stems from the archaic rules regarding the “legitimacy” of children, which, when the act was first put in place, impacted their rights to inheritance from their parents,’ Josie Kirk, associate solicitor in the family team at Blacks Solicitors furthers.
‘Inheritance rules have long since changed and developed, however, despite many people not knowing about it, this particular law regarding the re-registration of a child’s birth is still in existence.
‘£2 might not sound like much but back in 1976 the average weekly wage for a woman was only £45 and a pint cost around 20p – so it’s all subjective.’
Needing to re-register your child? You can do so by filling out a form called the LA1 on the Gov UK website, or by going to your local register office and completing it in person – just as parents would have done in 1976.
‘If there’s ever an issue in the future where parental responsibility is being debated or investigated, it just helps you to have all your paperwork in check and on the right side,’ Zoe finalises.
‘It doesn’t cost anything, and it’s very quick to do.’
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