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N.C. Gen. Stat. § 49-12.1

Legitimation when mother married

Applied in 4 court decisions — leading case 121 N.C. App. 434 - Jones v. Patience (1996)

Most recently applied in Heather Martin Gartner and Melissa Gartner, Individually and as Next Friends of Mackenzie Jean Gartner, a Minor Child v. Iowa Department of Public Health (May 2013)

1991, c. 667, s. 2; 1991 (Reg

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Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

(a) The putative father of a child born to a mother who is married to another man may file a special proceeding to legitimate the child. The procedures shall be the same as those specified by G.S. 49-10, except that the spouse of the mother of the child shall be a necessary party to the proceeding and shall be properly served. A guardian ad litem shall be appointed to represent the child if the child is a minor.

(b) The presumption of legitimacy can be overcome by clear and convincing evidence.

(c) The parties may enter a consent order with the approval of the clerk of superior court. The order entered by the clerk shall find the facts and declare the proper person the father of the child and may change the surname of the child after determination that the change is in the best interests of the child.

(d) The effect of legitimation under this section shall be the same as provided by G.S. 49-11.

(e) A certified copy of the order of legitimation under this section shall be sent by the clerk of superior court under his official seal to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics who shall make a new birth certificate bearing the full name of the father of the child and, if ordered by the clerk after determination that the change is in the best interests of the child, changing the surname of the child.

Official source: North Carolina General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain North Carolina statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.