unmarried parents - proof of legal guardianship

[zastler]

Hi

we moved to Finland with our 2 kids, both born and registered with both our names in the UK - but we are not married. The Finish authorities say they require a proof of legal guardianship for the father. I haven't found anything useful on google - does anyone know about what we need? The maastrati isn't sure themselves. Apparently we need this piece of paper / proof if we wanted to get married too...

Thanks

[Pursuivant]

I guess this section pertains to your case: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Par ... DG_4002954

For births registered in England and Wales

In England and Wales, if the parents of a child are married to each other at the time of the birth, or if they have jointly adopted a child, then they both have parental responsibility. Parents do not lose parental responsibility if they divorce, and this applies to both the resident and the non-resident parent.

This is not automatically the case for unmarried parents. According to current law, a mother always has parental responsibility for her child. A father, however, has this responsibility only if he is married to the mother when the child is born or has acquired legal responsibility for his child through one of these routes:

(from 1 December 2003) by jointly registering the birth of the child with the mother
by a parental responsibility agreement with the mother
by a parental responsibility order, made by a court
by marrying the mother of the child

Living with the mother, even for a long time, does not give a father parental responsibility. If the parents are not married, parental responsibility does not automatically pass to the natural father if the mother dies - unless he already has parental responsibility.

So, if you have a jointly registered birth certificate issued after 2003, that should be enough. otherwise the paper they want is the court decree on "parental responsibility". They have internet, so go speak with the registrar and show that page and the birth certificate.

[Rip]

Everything above seems valid, but perhaps you could also try asking advice from your embassy.

[zastler]

Thanks

the 'long' birth certificate (jointly registring the child) apparantly is not enough even though this is the legalised document and we have both our names on it. I will show them the link you found though and will check with the embassy.

[Kutittaa]

Wouldn't a birth certificate with dad's name as the father on it be enough?

[Flossy1978]

Of course not.... Don't you know they would like to make it just a bit more difficult? LOL.

[Kutittaa]

I thought you can't really argue with a BC.

[Keplerinvaimo]

Are you both from UK or is one of you Finnish?

Our situation: unmarried, Finn, Australian, Australian birth certificate with both names. We ended up signing a paper where my partner acknowledged parental responsibility. This was back in 2001/2002, and I can't remember if it was Maistraatti, KELA or Helsinki City that arranged the paper.

Not much help I know, however birth certificates are not very Finnish

[Kutittaa]

Are you both from UK or is one of you Finnish?

Our situation: unmarried, Finn, Australian, Australian birth certificate with both names. We ended up signing a paper where my partner acknowledged parental responsibility. This was back in 2001/2002, and I can't remember if it was Maistraatti, KELA or Helsinki City that arranged the paper.

Not much help I know, however birth certificates are not very Finnish

Was it apostilled?

[Keplerinvaimo]

Not certain, although I'm pretty sure it was. Same paper got pulled out for all sorts of applications.

[zastler]

It's taken 6 months but at last our 'long' birth certificate from the UK with both our names on it was accepted with the words "it is as you said"!