Birth Registrations & Birth Certificates
Registering a birth should be simple. Sometimes it isn't.
Every birth in Ontario has to be registered with the government before a child can get a birth certificate or passport. For most families, that's a routine form. For families formed through surrogacy — or facing a complicated parentage situation — it's a legal step that needs to be handled carefully and correctly the first time.
Book an Advice MeetingWhen To Reach Out
Situations we see most often
Birth registration questions come up in all kinds of family circumstances, not just surrogacy.
You had a child through surrogacy and need to register the birth with the correct legal parents named.
A parent's name is missing from the original registration and needs to be added.
A registration was never completed, or was completed incorrectly, and needs to be corrected.
There's a dispute or uncertainty about who should be named as a legal parent.
You need a birth certificate or passport application processed and the registration is holding things up.
You're not sure whether your family's situation needs a court application before registration can proceed.
How We Help
Getting it right the first time
Registration is usually the last legal step in building a family — which makes it worth getting right after everything that came before it.
-
Parentage clarity before registration
We help confirm legal parentage after a surrogacy arrangement — and, in rarer cases, certain donor conception situations — so the registration reflects the right legal parents from the start.
-
Correcting an existing registration
If a birth was registered incorrectly, or not registered at all, we help you understand the options for fixing it.
-
Resolving parentage disputes
Where there's disagreement or uncertainty about who should be named a legal parent, we help you understand your options and advocate on your behalf.
-
Coordinating with the next steps
Registration is often the gateway to a birth certificate and passport application — we help make sure nothing about the registration slows those down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about birth registration
Why does a birth need to be registered?+
The law requires births to be registered with the government. Registration is the precursor step to being able to obtain a child's birth certificate and, later, a passport.
Does surrogacy change how registration works?+
It can. Confirming legal parentage may need to happen before or alongside registration, to make sure the right people are named as legal parents. This comes up far more often with surrogacy than with donor conception, which rarely raises registration issues on its own. See our Reproductive & Fertility Law page for more on how we support families through this.
What if a birth was never registered, or was registered incorrectly?+
We can help you understand what's involved in registering a birth late, or correcting an existing registration — the right process depends on your specific circumstances.
Do I need a lawyer to register a birth?+
Not always — many births are registered without any legal help at all. Legal advice becomes valuable when parentage isn't straightforward: most often after surrogacy, or where there's a dispute or a previous registration that needs to be corrected.
How does birth registration relate to getting a passport?+
Registration comes first — it's the record that a birth certificate is issued from, and a birth certificate is generally required to apply for a child's passport. Any issue with the underlying registration can delay both steps.
Questions about registering your child's birth?
Book an Advice MeetingLisa Feldstein Law Office Professional Corporation
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 3P4
Canada
Tel: 416-937-8768
