Family Frustrated Over Lack of Birth Certificate for Nine-Year-Old Girl
The family of a nine-year-old Checotah girl is frustrated because they’ve been trying to get her a birth certificate since she was born. They say they’ve tried every legal avenue they can, but everything they try leads to a dead end. One of her nieces is nine and has never had a birth certificate, which also means she doesn’t have a social security number.
Summer Tankersley lives with her brother and two nieces in Checotah. She’s scared of what this means for the girl as she gets older. Given her age, pretty soon she won’t be able to get a job or a driver’s license. Summer says it’s caused a lot of anxiety for the family.
Department of Human Services Responds to the Family’s Situation
The Department of Human Services sent us a statement saying that they are doing everything they can to assist the family within Oklahoma law in respecting the legal rights of all involved. The agency will continue to help the family work through this issue until a birth certificate can be legally obtained.
Summer says this is too important for them to give up. If you’re in this situation, fight. Fight every day. Don’t stop banging down doors. Don’t stop calling. Even if they tell you no. Summer says the next thing they’re going to try is to establish paternity with DNA and see if that can lead them to get the birth certificate.
Understanding Paternity Actions with Attorney James Wirth
We spoke with the Tulsa attorney about what to do in a situation where your child does not have a birth certificate. Family lawyer James Wirth says a parent first can file what’s called a paternity action. It’s a legal tool used to force someone to acknowledge who is the child’s father and can be filed by either parent.
Once a court establishes paternity, you can then use that to apply for a birth certificate with the state health department’s vital records office.
Low-Cost Initial Strategy Session Available – Call 918-879-1681
If you’re facing challenges with obtaining a birth certificate for your child, consider scheduling a low-cost initial strategy session with attorney James Wirth. Call 918-879-1681 to discuss your options and get the legal assistance you need.
