NEWS / British mother cannot add deceased partner to child’s birth certificate due to cost

A British mother is struggling with not being able to add the name of her deceased partner—from whom she had gotten pregnant—to her child’s birth certificate. The child was born after the death of his father, and British law requires mothers to file a declaration of parentage in order to be able to list the father’s name on the child’s birth certificate. Unfortunately for Alex Leggett, filing the declaration costs an exorbitant £365 (about $475).

Alex Leggett and Jody Murphy had known each other for many years but only started dating in May 2020.

"McDonald's had just reopened in Peterborough," Alex was quoted by Lincolshire World as stating. “We sat in the car and ate 20 McNuggets. Other days, we'd go out to the seaside - we were on-and-off for about two months until he finally asked me to be his girlfriend."

Alex and Jody formally became a couple in August 2020, and Jody, who had been nearing the age of 40, said he really wanted to have children. Alex found out she was pregnant on November 9, with Jody reportedly being very happy about the news. Unfortunately, a month later, Alex received devastating news of Jody’s sudden death in his sleep.

While it is not clear exactly what caused Jody to die so suddenly, Alex believes he may have had an undiagnosed heart condition. The stress of Jody’s death caused Alex to experience unpleasant symptoms, such as morning sickness and weight loss, while planning and arranging for Jody’s funeral.

Alex gave birth to her son, whom she named Malone, on July 3, 2021, in the east English town of Boston. Malone is now 3 years old and keeps asking his mother when his dad would “come back from heaven” as he sees his friends being picked up by their dads.

“It's heartbreaking—I just can't think of what to say when he asks me that,” Alex said.

To this day, Jody is not listed on his son’s birth certificate, as Alex was told she needs to file a declaration of parentage through the courts, whose filing fee of £365 (about $475) is too much for a single mother.

"Jody didn't know he was going to die," Alex said. All he wanted was to be a dad and now he isn't even on Malone's birth certificate. A lot of people don't have the money to pay for a declaration of parentage. You should be able to prove it by bringing a family member of the deceased to the registry office."