WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Deciding which surname to give your child is another challenge of single parenthood.

If you’re still married, the child will be registered under the father’s surname, unless you both agree otherwise.

If you’re unmarried or divorced, the child can be registered under either parent’s surname.

Bear in mind that even if you decide to give baby your surname, “It does not reduce the father’s rights and responsibilities in any way,” according to Cheryl Webb, managing consultant at the Family Law Clinic.

The surname is one of the “big decisions” both parents should agree on, unless you have been granted sole custody or have had the father’s rights removed by a court of law.

Cheryl adds that baby having your surname also doesn’t make it any easier to take her anywhere you please. “It is illegal to remove a child out of the province the child was born in without the consent of the father, or a court order,” she says.

Likewise, it is illegal to apply for a passport for your child or children or to move or travel with them abroad without the written consent of the father or a court order. (Travel inside the country is fine – you don’t need consent from the other parent.) So in terms of rights and responsibilities, it really doesn’t matter whose surname the child has, as neither you nor the father will get special rights to the child just because he or she has your surname.