Some more on my series dedicated to my new and soon to be parents out there will focus on all of the 'legal things' you need to be aware of once your baby arrives.
BIRTH CERTIFICATE
Birth certificates are critically important documents. A birth certificate is a legal document which lists the child's name, birth place, date, time and parents. If you have everything ready at the time of birth, you can apply for this document right at the hospital. Otherwise, you can contact the State vital records department to get it created. You’ll want to be sure you check the information carefully. Sounds funny, but I can't tell you how many times issues arise. Be sure the child's name is exactly how you want it- spelling, hyphenated last name, middle name. Whatever you want your child's legal name to be, make sure it's exactly that way on the document.
If there is an issue, i.e. you did not give the official name at birth, you’ll want to get it taken care of right away. To make updates to the name you’d need to get an order from family court. Once you get that order, you can provide the update and court order to the state vital records department.
If your birth happened outside of a hospital, you'll need to make sure you write to the department of health and complete their worksheet within 30 days of birth. If you do not complete the worksheet within 1 year of the child’s birth, you’ll end up with a real mess. You’ll have to provide additional evidence of birth and pay additional fees. Most concerning, your child’s birth certificate will automatically be marked DELAYED. The DELAYED mark can cause authorities to question the validity of this document and cause issues, for the rest of their life. You should get this done ASAP.
Adopting? Make sure you get the ‘new’ birth certificate. At the court hearing, the report of adoption will then go to the state offices of vital records. You’ll need to request a certified copy of the new birth certificate from that office, once everything is recorded.
From a legal standpoint, the Birth Certificate is a document which officially record's the child's birth, legal name and legal parents with the State in which the Child is born. You could call it the "Official Record" that your Child was born and born a US citizen. The name given on this document will be your Child's legal name for life (unless later changed, not an easy process). Parents on record will be considered jointly responsible. This document is always used in divorce cases and custody battles.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Social Security Number is another extremely important legal identifier. Unlike the birth certificate, a social security number is not drawn up right away. Sometimes, the hospital will give you the form to take home and fill out. Otherwise, to get your Child assigned a SS number, you'll need to visit the government website, fill out paperwork and send in proof that your child was born in the US (here is where that Birth Certificate comes into play!). Again, you want to be sure that all information is 100% accurate before submitting.
From a legal standpoint, a Social Security Number officially records the child's birth with the United States of America. You could call it the "Official Record" for the US. In addition to your child one day being able to taxes to the USofA (ha), this number allows for a few different things. With this number now assigned, you, as the parents, can now legal write-off a dependent. This SS number also entitles your child to different benefits if they are disabled. As they grow up, this 9-digit number can help them apply for State and Federal Aid, if they need it. Once they hit the golden years, this same number you got them when they were born, will allow them to collect a monthly stipend from the government, Social Security. This number will follow your child throughout their life. It's critically important you get it and keep this number safe.
