 |
Registrar |
| Torbay Council | |
| Oldway Mansion Torquay Road Paignton TQ3 2TE | |
 |
registrar @torbay.gov.uk |
 | 01803 207130 |
 | 01803 525388 |
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- Do I have to take my husband's name when I get married?
- How do I arrange a civil marriage?
- What documents do I need to bring when I come to make the arrangements to get married?
- How can I obtain a new birth certificate?
- How do I register my new child for a birth certificate as I have married the father?
- Who can register a birth?
- What surname can the child be given?
- What do I need to bring with me to register the baby?
- What certificates will I be issued with?
- What documents do I need to register a death?
- Who can register a death?
- Can I obtain a still birth certificate?
- Where else can I have a ceremony apart from Oldway Mansion?
Do I have to take my husband's name when I get married?
There is no legal requirement to take your husband's name after you get married. You can keep your own name if you wish and you do not need to notify anyone of that decision.
How do I arrange a civil marriage?
Having decided on the date and venue of their marriage the bride and groom will need to arrange an appointment with their local Register Office to give legal "Notice of Marriage". These notices will be publicly displayed in the office for 15 days, to allow for any legal objection to be made, after this the "Certificates for Marriage" will be issued and will be valid for the venue stated for 12 months from the date that Notice of Marriage was given.
What documents do I need to bring when I come to make the arrangements to get married?
You will need to bring evidence of your name, age, current address and nationality. Your passport should be produced if possible. If you do not possess a passport you should produce your birth certificate along with a driving licence, medical card, bank statement or another official document.
If you have been married before, either in this country or abroad, you will also need to provide evidence that your previous marriage has ended. If the marriage was ended by divorce you will need to produce a final divorce decree from the court in which the divorce was granted. A photocopy of this document will not be acceptable. If the divorce took place in another country and the document is not in English you will also need to provide a translation of the document.
If your previous spouse died, you will need to provide a certified copy of the death certificate from the registration authorities of the county in which the death took place. If you are in any doubt about what documents will be required please phone the register office for advice on 01803 207130.
How can I obtain a new birth certificate?
You can obtain a copy from the register office for the area in which you were born. A standard copy is £7.00 or £5.50 for a short copy.
If you apply by post, simply send a brief letter detailing the full name at birth, the date and place of birth and the names of the parents. Cheques should be made payable to Torbay Council.
How do I register my new child for a birth certificate as I have married the father?
You will need to apply for re-registration of the child's birth under section 14 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act. You can obtain a form for this purpose from the register office. This form needs to be completed and signed by both parties and forwarded to the register office along with the documents specified. Once processed, the birth can then be re-registered again in the presence of either parent and the registrar. Certified copies of the re-registered entry can be obtained on payment of the statutory fee.
Information for registration is required to be given, in person, within 42 days of the birth and certain people have a legal responsibility to do this. In order of preference they are as follows:
- The mother;
- The father where the child's parents were married to each other at the time of the birth or conception;
- The occupier of the house or institution in which the birth occurred;
- A person present at the birth; or
- The person in charge of the child.
A parent is generally to be preferred as informant since experience has shown that the information given by other informants is not always reliable. Where hardship would be caused by insisting on a parent's attendance, some other qualified person may be accepted, regard being paid to the above order of preference.
The father, where the parents are not married to each other, is qualified to give information for the registration (although he has no legal duty to do so) if he produces one of the following:
- A statutory declaration made by the mother stating that he is the father of the child;
- A sealed copy of a parental responsibility order; or
- A certified copy of a relevant court order
What happens if a birth is not registered within 6 weeks?
After 6 weeks a formal requisition is sent requiring that the birth be registered. Parents become liable to a penalty of £200 if the required information is not given within the proper time.
What surname can the child be given?
The child will normally be given the surname of the mother or father (even if the parents are not married to each other and the father does not attend with the mother).
What do I need to bring with me to register the baby?
As long as the child was born in Torbay, we will have had a notification from the Health authority telling us when and where the birth took place. However, if you register the baby very soon after birth, it would be helpful to bring the hospital tag with you.
What certificates will I be issued with?
After the birth has been registered, you will be issued with a short copy birth certificate, which is free of charge. The certificate shows the baby's forenames, surname, sex, date of birth and district of birth only. A full copy of the birth certificate is available on payment of the statutory fee, which is currently £3.50.
What documents do I need to register a death?
If a registered medical practitioner attended the deceased during his/her last illness, he/she is required by law to issue a certificate stating to the best of his/her knowledge and belief the cause of death. It is usual for this certificate to be delivered to the registrar by the person registering the death. If a post mortem is held under the direction of HM Coroner, a certificate will be posted directly to the register office.
Certain people have a legal duty to give information; in order of preference they are as follows:
- A relative of the deceased, present at the death;
- A relative of the deceased;
- A person present at the death
- The occupier of the house/establishment
- The person causing the disposal of the body i.e. a solicitor dealing with the deceased's financial affairs.
Can I obtain a still birth certificate?
Yes, a certified copy of the still birth registration can be obtained from the registrar at the time of registration on payment of the statutory fee which is currently £5.50.
Where else can I have a ceremony apart from Oldway Mansion?
There are approved premises around Torbay where your ceremony can be held. Visit the Approved Premises page for further information.