# Who's Your Daddy?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-daddy/98799
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 18, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-daddy/98799 "2002-03-18T00:42:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DAD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAD)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-daddy/98799/1 "2002-03-18T00:42:30Z")
My fiancee and I are expecting a baby in October. We don’t fancy the “shotgun-wedding” option but wonder what significant differences it makes for the child. I was told that I would have to go through adoption of the child etc. We live in New York and would love to know the pro’s and con’s of the two options we have. thanks
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-daddy/98799/2 "2002-03-18T01:02:15Z")
You don’t need to adopt your own infant.
There may be custodial and child support issues that end up in court, but not **adoption**.
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### Author:  [@ejrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ejrn)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-daddy/98799/3 "2002-03-18T05:02:52Z")
**yojimboguy** is correct. Your fiance just puts your name down as the father when she fills out the birth certificate and voila! - you are the father. No adoption needed. You have no legal situations to deal with - only social ones. Best of luck to you and the fam. Congratulations.
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-daddy/98799/4 "2002-03-18T05:10:54Z")
As a natural father of two that also adopted three others, let me tell you the issue is that the children should understand that they are yours and that they are loved. Nothing else matters, but if this isn’t the case there will be hell to pay.