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HomeFamily CodeDiv. 13Pt. 2Ch. 1§ 8615 Adopted Child Birth Certificate

§ 8615 Adopted Child Birth Certificate

Family Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 8615 Adopted Child Birth Certificate

Key Takeaways

  • •If you adopt a child and your spouse (who helped raise the child) has passed away, you can ask for a new birth certificate that lists the deceased spouse as a parent.
  • •This new birth certificate doesn’t change who inherits money or property from the deceased spouse.
  • •The birth certificate also can’t be used as proof of a relationship with the deceased spouse in court for things like money or property.

Example

A single mom adopts a child after her husband, who helped raise the child, passed away. She wants the birth certificate to show her late husband as the child’s parent.

She can ask the court for a new birth certificate listing her late husband as a parent. But this won’t mean the child automatically gets any money or property from the late husband’s family.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8615 Adopted Child Birth Certificate

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, an action may be brought in the county in which the petitioner resides for the purpose of obtaining for a child adopted by the petitioner a new birth certificate specifying that a deceased spouse of the petitioner who was in the home at the time of the initial placement of the child is a parent of the child. (b) In an adoption proceeding, the petitioner may request that the new birth certificate specify that a deceased spouse of the petitioner who was in the home at the time of the initial placement of the child is a parent of the child. (c) The inclusion of the name of a deceased person in a birth certificate issued pursuant to a court order under this section does not affect any matter of testate or intestate succession, and is not competent evidence on the issue of the relationship between the adopted child and the deceased person in any action or proceeding. (Enacted by Stats. 1992, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. Operative January 1, 1994.)

Last verified: January 21, 2026

Key Terms

new birth certificatedeceased spouseinitial placementadopted childtestate or intestate succession

Related Statutes

  • § 8616 Adoptive Parent-Child Rights
  • § 1500 Marital Property Agreements
  • § 1501 Minor Marital Property Agreements
  • § 1502 Marital Property Agreement Recording
  • § 1503 Premarital Agreements Validity

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Family Code. Section 8615.
View Official Source