LEGAL matters for SINGLE parents

[martedi]

hi...what if the child is carrying the mother's surname (w/o middle name),but acknowledged by the father.since nung year na yun,the family code states that if parents were not married,the child has to bear the mother's surname...then yung father,gusto nya ipangalan sa kanya yung child. what's the better option, pakasal muna yung parents or ipangalan na agad yung bata sa father kahit di married?do the father need to adopt the child?...TIA

[planggacious]

under RA 9255 (approved last 2004), an illegitimate child can use the surname of his father provided that the father acknowledges his paternity. you can go to the civil registry office where the child is registered, and the dad will issue an affidavit of acknowledgement/paternity. may few forms lang to fill up, then the civil registry will annotate on the birth certificate of the child na bago na yung full name nya (e.g., pursuant to an acknowledgment made by the father under RA 9255, the child shall now be known as XXX.)

if the father & mother are going to get married naman, no need for adoption if he is the biological father. you just have to go to the civil registry with a copy of the marriage cert, then they will also annotate the correction in the birth cert of the child.

[geekhead]

If my child still have the mothers last name as her middle name. But have my last name because of RA 9255. But the thing is we are not together anymore.

1. What is the procedure so she wont be able to take my child Is this abandonement? I believe she should be 7 or something ata para di na makuha.

2. If i decide to get married. How will i change my childs surname to my future wifes last name para "malinis" na.

Thanks!

[[FickleMinded]]

^Parang naguluhan ako sa #2 mo,kung ang apelyido ng anak mo eh yung apelyido mo na,parang wala namang magiging problema,bakit papapalitan mo pa ng last name ng "future wife" mo?eh apelyido mo na rin naman iyon.
yung #1,ang alam ko parang may loophole din,kahit na under 7 pa ang bata kung ang category ng mother eh "unfit mother" pwede syang makuha ng tatay.ganon yata iyon.

[iyah-kin]

my lil boy uses his father's name .. hindi pa kami married ..

and we're not together anymore .. how can i change it for my child to use my name instead..sabi nila mejo mahaba habang process daw yun?

[foxychick]

wow! i've learn a lot sa thread na to.

i have a question ***...

my two sons kasi use my surname and middle name. pero yung twin sisters nila walang middle name (accdg. sa quezon city hall). ganun ba talaga? kasi sa school records nila middle name ko yung middle name nila. dapat ko na ba ichange para di hassle yung records?

thanks in advance!

[planggacious]

@ geekhead: (1) read the posts of rudy on how he got custody of his child. you will have to go to court to petition for sole custody of your child, as long as you allege & prove that the mother is unfit and incapable of taking care of him/her, whether or not the child is below 7 yrs old; (2) if you want your future wife's surname to be his MIDDLE name, you both have to adopt your child after your marriage.

@iyah-kin: your query has also been answered by rudy already. you will have to petition the court for a change of surname, and only after a judgment in your favor will you be able to change your child's surname to yours. oo, medyo matagal ang process.

@foxychick: i assume you're not married... don't worry too much kung middle name lang ang problem. you can issue an affidavit later to attest that your twin daughters are the same persons as that named in their birth certs. (yung sasabihin na "one and the same person" sila) your hands are tied: under the law, if you are unmarried and the father doesn't acknowledge paternity, your child will carry your surname and will have no middle name.

hope this helps!

[geekhead]

Thanks! I think this is also applicable if the biological mother is out of the country for years din right? So there would be no more hearings and stuff.

Re #2 My child already have my last name but her biological moms lname as her middle name. So my future partner would have to adopt my child para mabago middle name ng child ko right.

[rudy_arete]

Thanks! I think this is also applicable if the biological mother is out of the country for years din right? So there would be no more hearings and stuff.

Re #2 My child already have my last name but her biological moms lname as her middle name. So my future partner would have to adopt my child para mabago middle name ng child ko right.

hi geekhead,

I assume you're not married to your child's biological mother since you cited RA 9255 as the reason why your child was able to use you surname.

If you intend to file a petition for adoption to have sole custody of your child using ABANDONMENT as basis, meron pa rin po hearings and stuff kahit nasa ibang bansa na ang mother ng ilang taon.

The process of adoption of a minor comes with an evaluation of a DSWD representative. The DSWD representative will conduct an investigation if your child was really abandoned by the biological mother. Kailangan mapatunayan ng DSWD person that the biological mother can no longer be located or you have no idea of her whereabouts. And if the mother had been out of the country for years already, it must be emphasized that she never initiated any form of contact to you or her child. Otherwise, if the DSWD representative finds out that the mother still tries to communicate with your child every once in a while or she sends some kind of support through her relatives, this may not qualify as abandonment.

In support to Atty. planggacious explanation regarding your # 2 concern, if you want to change the middle name of your child, you have 2 options:
1) Ikaw muna ang mag adopt sa anak mo kung hindi pa kayo kasal ng future partner mo or kung wala pa naman kayo plano magpakasal. After the adoption process kasi, tinatanggal ang middle name ng bata if single parent and nag adopt. Bale your child will still use your surname but will no longer have a middle name.

2) Magpakasal muna kayo ng future partner mo then iaadopt nyo ang bata bilang husband and wife. This time, your child's middle name will be changed. (your wife's surname will be used as your child's middle name)

Bro, I understand your concern but the thing with the child's middle name is only a minor thing in the entire process of adoption. If you do intend to go through with it, please realize that the law is basically biased in the favor of the mother. I mean, bihira po na iggrant ang petition for adoption to a Single Male parent na hindi kasal sa biological mother. Statistically proven daw po kasi na mas nakakabuti sa isang bata kung ina ang magpapalaki. But syempre, there are exemptions nga if the mother is indeed unfit to be one.

But as I've explained po kasi sa mga naunang posts ko, the court will require the mother's consent to the adoption. The consent will say na inaamin nya na makasasama kung mananatili sa kanya ang bata at isinusuko na nya ang lahat ng karapatan bilang isang ina. Given its content, yun po ang isa sa mga mahirap kunin. So be really sure that you have grave reasons and evidences kung bakit kelangan mapunta sayo anak mo.

I hope this helps.

Thanks to Atty. planggacious. Wag mo kami iiwan ha..

[rudy_arete]

wow! i've learn a lot sa thread na to.i have a question ***...my two sons kasi use my surname and middle name. pero yung twin sisters nila walang middle name (accdg. sa quezon city hall).* ganun ba talaga?* kasi sa school records nila middle name ko yung middle name nila.* dapat ko na ba ichange para di hassle yung records?thanks in advance!

add ko lang po sa comment ni atty. planggacious which was:

@foxychick: i assume you're not married...* … your hands are tied:* under the law, if you are unmarried and the father doesn't acknowledge paternity, your child will carry your surname and will have no middle name.hope this helps!

lumalabas po kasi na mga kapatid mo yung 2 sons mo if they are using the same middle name and surname that you have. So mas tama pa po yung sa twin sisters nila na walang middle name.

I've encountered a lot of the same complaints from other single parents I know. The problem is paiba iba po kasi ang ginagawa ng civil registrar ng iba't-ibang munisipyo. And I believe this is one of the urgent concerns that the NSO should address. When I had a discussion with an NSO Main representative, she explained that when an illegitimate child is not acknowledged by the biological father, the computer automatically enters "N. A." under the father's information sa birth certificate. On the other hand, given RA 9255 na nga today, or if an illegitimate child is acknowledged by the biological father, the child will automatically use the fathers surname and will use his/her mother's surname as his/her middle name (like in the case of a legitimate child).

So I'm not sure how your sons were able to have both your middle and last name but it's most probably an error of your local civil regristrar. If we are going to follow NSO Main rules, your sons are the ones who have to change their birth certificate. You will have to take off their middle name. Unless you get married and you want to legitimize the status of your children. Under such case, you and your children's stepfather will adopt your children. Your children will then use your husband's surname and your surname.

[planggacious]

a strict interpretation of the law and the rules will necessary result in a LOT of problems.

this may sound unlawyerly, but sometimes, it's better not to open a can of worms kung hindi pa naman problema.

like change of middle name & surname... maayos yan later kung talagang may balak naman magpakasal and nagkakaintindihan naman ang partners na they will adopt the children to fix the names and later, para pantay-pantay ang shares sa mana.

yung dropping the surname of the absentee/non-supporting dad, kahit masakit, minsan kasi you also have to think that later, the kid will also look for his dad, whether dala nya yung pangalan o hindi.

yung walang middle name... the affidavit will be enough to correct his/her records later. just be consistent with what you are using now, para hindi madagdagan yung problema nyo.

magastos magpa-korte. kahit abogado ako, never kong naging practice na magtanggap ng kaso left-and-right, unless talagang gustong-gusto ng client na mag-kaso. kasi andami talagang dapat bayaran and medyo mahaba ang process. unless you're ready to spend and you think you'd rather fix things now, then sige, mag-kaso na. pero kung okay pa naman, wag gumawa ng problema

[chiqbonez]

Sana matulungan nio ko..

I gave birth to my son po kc when i was 16 years old, so hndi kami married ng biological father nia.. right after i gave birth po (mejo hilo pa ko) may mga pinapirmahan po silang stuffs saken para daw sa birth certificate ng baby.. hndi ko naman alam na *** isang form na un is para magamit ng baby *** surname ng father nia.. so pinabayaan na lang po namin..

im already married na po ***** to someone since naghiwalay na kami nung first ko and hindi naman sya nagsupport sa baby namin eversince..

my question po is:

ano po kaya pwede naming gawin ng husband ko as first step para mapalitan *** surname ng first baby ko since gusto ng husband ko ***** na surname nia na *** gamitin para sa first baby ko (turning 3 yrs na po *** baby ko) since sya din naman po *** kinikilalang daddy nung baby ko.. and *** biological father din po is wlang sustento sa anak nia since pinanganak ko un, kahit *** hospital bills hndi nila nagastusan..

please do help po, ayoko kc lumaki *** son ko na magtataka sya bakit iba *** surname nia samen, lalo na magkaka baby brother na sya..

thanks po in advance

[changes_in_me19]

salamat naman at meron palang topic na ganito.

eto po yung situation ko.

yung panganay kong anak e naka-apelyido sa akin kasi d kami kasal ng partner ko tapos nagkahiwalay. tapos may isa din akong anak yung bunso ko sa present live in partner ko ngayon at apelyido nya ang dala ng bata.

hihiwalayan ko na sya sometime this October at ask ko lang kung pwede kong papalitan yung surname ng anak kong bunso na apelyido ko ang ipapagamit ko sa kanya para pareho sa panganay ko?? malaki ba gastos nito?

[planggacious]

@chic: you & your husband have to go through court proceedings to adopt your child. (check this thread. may comprehensive answer si rudy dito.)

@changes_in_me: court proceeding din, petition for change of name/surname. approx P50-60K total gastos, including filing fees, attorney's fees. (sariling estimate ko yan)

napapansin ko lang, most questions have already been answered by rudy in his previous posts. maybe you can try reading through them first, then ask clarificatory questions nalang suggestion lang naman ciao!

[geekhead]

Thank you so much guys! Appreciate all the help.

[rudy_arete]

I would like to mention na rin po since marami din ako naencounter na naguguluhan pala about the use of the petition for adoption to change the status and name of an illegitimate child. Para na rin po malinaw sa lahat. Baka meron din dito na nagugulimihanan kung bakit kelangan iadopt ang sariling anak.

Ang legal adoption po kasi ay hindi lamang ginagawa ng mga mag asawa na hindi magkaroon ng anak. Ginawa din ito ng mga tunay na magulang ng isang bata na ipinanganak na hindi kasal ang magulang.

Dahil nga illegitimate ang bata, maaaring ampunin ng tunay na magulang ang kanyang anak para maitaas ang status ng bata. Mula sa pagiging illegitimate ay magiging legitimate at mapalitan ang pangalan ng bata kapag nagdesisyon ang korte na iapprove ang adoption.

To CHIQBONEZ:
Tama po ang iyong inaalala na dadating ang panahon na papansinin ng anak mo kung bakit iba ang surname nya. Pero hindi lang yung pangalan ang dapat mo isipin. Kahit kasi may asawa ka na ngayon, nananatiling illegitimate ang una mong anak. Samantalang ang baby brother nya ay legitimate child nyo ng asawa mo ngayon. Pagdating po ng panahon, malaki po ang pagkakaiba ng parte sa mana ng isang legitimate child sa illegitimate child. Kumbaga, pag hindi nyo binago ang status ng una mong anak, mas malaki ang mamanahin ng bunso mo sa kuya nya.

At kagaya nga po ng binanggit ng ating resident lawyer na si Atty. Planggacious, kailangan nyo (ikaw at ang asawa mo) na ampunin ang una mong anak. As husband and wife, you will a file a petition for adoption. Kailangan nyo dumaan sa legal na proseso kaya kakailanganin ang serbisyo ng isang abugado katulad ni atty. Planggacious.

Ang proseso at estimate ng gastos sa pag fifile ng petition for adoption ay naipost ko na sa unang bahagi ng thread na ito. Maari nyo pong basahin ang nauna kong post o maari kayong kumunsulta na diretso kay atty. planggacious.

Sana po ay nakatulong ako.

[rudy_arete]

Hi Atty. PLANGGACIOUS

Ask ko na rin po: other than the petition for adoption, can we really change the name of the child without the consent of the biological father?

I have already asked our other consultants but they can't give me a definite answer. They are unsure of what could be the legal basis to change the name of an acknowledged illegitimate child back to the surname of the mother. We ended up with a the conclusion that I've posted earlier in this thread. Similarly, most of the reasons described by mothers are not included in the valid reasons I found for change of name.

From G.R. NO. L-31065, February 15, 1990, Republic of teh Phil. vs. Pio R. Marcos, it was mentioned that the following have been considred valid grounds for a change of name:
1) when the name is ridiculous, dishonorable, or extremely difficult to write or pronounce;
2) when the change results as a legal consequence, as in legitimation;
3) when the change will avoid confusion
4) having continuously used and been known since childhood by a Filipino name, unaware of his alien parentage
5) a sincere desire to adopt a Filipino name to erase signs of former alienage all in good faith and not to prejudice anybody

[chiqbonez]

thankz po sa replies, yun lang po ba **** *** way para mapalitan surname ng frst child ko? sa totoo kasi *** kami ganun kalaking budget kung iaadopt pa namin *** panganay ko.. hay

[rudy_arete]

Sa pag kakaalam ko po at ayon sa ibang mga consultants natin eh yun nga lang po.* And based nga po dun sa jurisprudence na nakita ko, yang mga yan lang daw grounds to grant the change of name. Pero hintayin natin reply ni Atty. planggacious regarding my question. She might have other suggestions.

Yung expenses na nabanggit ko sa earliear blogs ko ay medyo mahal po. But I believe na pwede mapababa ng malaki yung expenses. Depende po kasi sa lawyer na kukunin and kung saan kayo mag ffile ng petition. If di po talaga kaya, try if you can qualify na mag avail ng free legal assistance from the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) na pinakamalapit sa inyo.

[martedi]

under RA 9255 (approved last 2004), an illegitimate child can use the surname of his father provided that the father acknowledges his paternity. you can go to the civil registry office where the child is registered, and the dad will issue an affidavit of acknowledgement/paternity. may few forms lang to fill up, then the civil registry will annotate on the birth certificate of the child na bago na yung full name nya (e.g., pursuant to an acknowledgment made by the father under RA 9255, the child shall now be known as XXX.)

if the father & mother are going to get married naman, no need for adoption if he is the biological father. you just have to go to the civil registry with a copy of the marriage cert, then they will also annotate the correction in the birth cert of the child.

2003 kasi pinanganak baby,so di sya nakasama sa law na yun,kahit may acknowledgment ang father....thanks for the help!