Ask Gulf News: My marriage wasn't officially registered — how do i get my child's birth documents?

Question: I am a Muslim man, married to a Muslim woman without a marriage contract, as her father was present online and the witnesses were present in person. We now have a child, but we are unable to obtain his identification documents. What should we do to get the official documents for the child?

Answer: You must file a lawsuit in the Personal Status Court in your place of residence to prove the marriage and the child's lineage to you. To prove the marriage, the wife's father (her guardian) and the witnesses who were present at the time must be summoned to give their testimonies before the judge.

Regarding the child, the court will refer you as the child’s father, the child’s mother and the child to the forensic laboratory for DNA testing of the child and the parents to determine whether they are the child's biological parents. The judge will also refer the child to forensic medicine for a medical examination to determine his age and date of birth.

Upon receiving the test results, if it is established that you are indeed the biological parents of the child, the court will then confirm the marriage and the child's lineage. 

When the judgment is issued, you must open an execution file with the same court that issued it in order to obtain the child's identification documents.