Parenting for Unmarried Couples FAQ

Questions:

• What steps must unmarried parents take to ensure that they are both considered the legal parents of their child?
• Does a child born to unmarried parents qualify for government benefits?
• When an unmarried couple has a child, whose last name does the child take?
• Can an unmarried couple adopt a child together?
• If a parent partners with someone who isn't the child's other parent, can the new partner adopt the child?
• Can both unmarried parents claim their child on their separate tax returns?
• Can a person who isn't a parent, but who plays a live-in parental role, take care of tasks like signing school permission slips or making medical decisions for a child?
• When unmarried parents separate, how does the breakup affect parenting rights and responsibilities?

Answer:

When an unmarried couple has a child, whose last name does the child take?

In the vast majority of states, when it comes to baby names, anything goes. This includes first, middle, and last names. You don't have to give the baby the last name of either parent -- for example, Mary Jones and Jack Brown can name their child Sunrise Smith. You may opt to hyphenate both of your last names, give the child one of your last names as a middle name -- or decide later and amend the birth certificate to reflect your new choice. (You can amend a birth certificate by contacting your state's Department of Vital Statistics, which you can locate through the website of the National Center for Health Statistics.)