QUESTION
In Tennessee, Will I be able to give my baby the fathers last name and list him on the birth certificate if he is not present at the hospital?
Asked on Apr 04th, 2020 on Family Law - Tennessee
More details to this question:
I live in Tennessee. My boyfriend may not be present at the hospital whenever our baby is born because he is currently incarcerated. We both want our baby to have his last name and want him to be listed as the father on the birth certificate. Will I still be able to do this even if he is not present? If not, what can I do? FYI we are both 17 but his mom will be present at the hospital and said she would help to do anything on his behalf if he can’t be there.
1 ANSWER
Signing the birth certificate may be difficult for him, but there's a document called a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, VAP, which is a notarized form which he could sign in jail. All jails have a notary for inmates even though it may be a little bit of a hassle to sign up. With that vap you could get the state to issue a new birth certificate. Certainly, at the hospital you can try to get them to put him on but even if they do you should still get a Vap.
Answered on Apr 23rd, 2020 at 9:17 AM