Changing Child’s Biological Father on Michigan Birth Certificate

If your child’s biological father was not named on the birth certificate and you later wish to add that name, Flint family law attorney Patrick Chatterton can help you do so.

In Michigan, there are very strict guidelines at the Vital Records office. This office is responsible for handling records of birth in the state and if you wish to amend the record of your child, you will have to follow their rules.

There are only a few people who may change the information on a birth record. Among them are the parent on the birth record, the legal guardian of the child named on the record, and the child, if over the age of 18. The parent who is not on the record, in this case the biological father, may add his name to the record by following the specific requirements set out by the court and the Vital Records office.

Other individuals or entities may change the birth record, if one of those individuals is not available. The heir of the child listed on the birth record, if the child and parents are dead; the party responsible for filling out the original birth certificate; and a legal, licensed representative of any of the individuals listed.

If there was no father listed on the birth certificate, you must provide a specific set of documents. They are:

A completed application to add a father on a Michigan birth record AND

A court order naming the father

OR a court determination of paternity

OR a completed Affidavit of Parentage form [You would fill this out yourself if there is no court order or court determination]

OR a court determination of heirs

A filiation is a court order pursuant to a DNA test. The court will have a DNA test ordered so that the legal father may be named. This may be necessary if the mother refuses to agree to put the father’s name on the birth certificate. The court order will be sent to the vital records office and the father will be added to the Central Paternity Registry.

You will also need appropriate identification and the record will not be issued until all fees are paid.

If the father listed on the birth record is not the biological father of the child, and you wish to change this information to reflect the name of the biological father, you will not be able to do so until you provide the documentation necessary to remove that name. In order to remove that name, you must provide a completed application to correct the birth record and a circuit court order that specifically states that the man listed on the birth record is not the biological father. If you wish to provide a divorce judgment, it must specifically state that husband is not the biological father and must specifically identify the child.

If you need to amend your child’s birth certificate in order to put his or her biological father’s name on it, contact the Law Office of Patrick L. Chatterton today. Flint, MI family law attorney Patrick Chatterton can work quickly to have your child’s birth record reflect his or her true parentage. Call us at (810) 767-0407 to schedule a consultation.