Another surname thing

The_Conductor

Hi- I know its sodding early on a Saturday morning but hey.
Have been discussing this with quite a few people in a similar situation over the last 6 months and thought I'd stick it up here and see if any suggestions emerged.

Adopted people forfeit their original name, surname etc. when they are adopted- and the Registrar General issues them with "an extract of the adopted childrens register" which is legally equivalent to a birthcertificate- and used for similiar purposes. The main difference is that it has the adoptive parents listed as the parents, and is a short little green form- adopted people do not have long form birth certificates (well they're not given to us anyway). One way of checking whether the short form certificate (which is quite helpfully printed as a birthcertificate, not as anything else) is from that of an adopted person or not is to check the registration district (there is a unique registration district used for adopted people NC4)

If an adopted person actually managed to find their original birth certificate, with their original name, their original surname, etc- what are the legal implications of the adopted person using their correct name, and not that which was given to them at a latter. The long form certificate does state "To alter this document, or to utter it so altered is a criminal offence", we are not altering the document- we want to use our birth certificates as they originally were.

I have attempted to get an answer out of The GRO, The Department of Health and Children, and Adoption Board and from social workers attached to two private adoption agencies, without any coherent reply.

There are those of us who would like to have the option to use the name that our mothers called us, and feel it is our legitimate right to do so.

Your thoughts please.

Shane

yellum

Why not change your name by deed poll ? Maybe its not the exact solution require but its legally recognized.

The_Conductor

We have no intention of changing our names by Deed poll or any other such method. We were born by our rightful names and should have the right to use our rightful names. In my own case while I was a baby I was baptised three times with three different names while my adoptive parents dithered over what they wanted to call me. My adoption order has one name crossed out and another over-written in pen (thanks to the lazy sod who didn't go and retype another one).
Adopted people have the right to their identity- to know where we come from, to a heritage, to a sense of being. That is what is being denied to us. Our name is but a small part of the equation- a singnificant one though. That is what we are talking about. Deed poll changes do not enter any equations with us, we are fighting to use that which is rightfully ours.

Shane

tman

Originally posted by yellum
Why not change your name by deed poll ? Maybe its not the exact solution require but its legally recognized.

aye, that's what i'll be doing once i have €200 to spare...
my father was adopted, i'll be taking on one of my mothers names rather than keeping a surname that isn't even in my blood.

The_Conductor

I'll may have an interesting twist on the last one- my girlfriend is also adopted- what happens when we have children? Arggghhhh
The insanity of it all.

S.

tman

Originally posted by smccarrick
Deed poll changes do not enter any equations with us, we are fighting to use that which is rightfully ours.

tbh, if i were in your situation, i'd just go for the deed poll option, €200 would save you a lot of hassle...

The_Conductor

I have found my original birthcert- something I'm not supposed to be able to do under the 1952 Adoption Act, as has my girlfriend. I know my real name, as does she. Its officialdom who stripped us of our identity. Both of us have met our natural parents (I've not met my Dad), we know who we are, we know what has been hidden from us. To use a Deed poll name change would quite honestly gall us. Its not an issue of the money- its the whole situation- why should we? To be quite honest- I know of several adopted people who would quite happily attempt to use their real names even if it provoked legal action against us, we'd welcome the legal action- hopefully that would force change.

Shane

MojoMaker

Are your [adoptive] parents both dead?

The_Conductor

Neither of them are. Adoption is never discussed with them- and never was. My gf has lost contact with her adoptive parents altogether (and with her natural parents too unfortunately), I am on fairly good terms with mine. I've not gone looking for my natural dad at all as yet- I only found my mum a few weeks ago. Obviously she has a life of her own, where she never expected I would ever find her- and I am respecting her privacy. Its difficult, its not easy. Obviously there is a hell of a lot that I'm not even hinting at here.
No, is the simple answer, my adoptive parents are not dead, nor are those of my girlfriend. I can guess the reason for your query- and simply- don't go there, there is a hell of a lot that I am not willing to discuss on a public list like this.

Shane