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Vital Records
Our lives are filled with important milestones many of which create their own records. Examples of these records include birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, and even our deaths are marked with a death certificate. These are all legal documents known as vital records. Vital records have a great number of uses. You'll find below a small list of how each vital record is used and what is included within the document.
Birth Certificate
There is no greater joy in a parent's life than the day they give birth to a child. This wonderous occasion is marked with a birth certificate which records the date, time, and location of a baby's birth. In most cases these documents are issued by the medical facility and certified by an attending physician although in some cases parents can obtain a standard birth certificate through the state registrar. In the case of a standard birth certificate, the parents will need to have it certified by a doctor, midwife, doula, or other state approved certifier. Although states are free to issue their own forms the U.S. Public Health Service has standardized the U.S birth certificate. The traditional birth certificate includes:
- The name of the child born, date and time of birth, sex of the child, geographic location of birth, and the hospital or specific place of birth
- State approved certifier/attendant
- Mother's information including name, age, and state of birth
- Father's information including name, age, and state of birth
- Date the birth certificate was filed
A person's birth certificate is invaluable throughout life. It has many important uses such as:
- Used for important census information
- Gives a person a verifiable form of identification
- Used when obtaining or renewing a driver's license, a passport, and a social security number
- Provides information on family genealogy
Marriage Certificate
Marriage is a joyous occasion in any person's life and another important milestone requiring certain documentation. Because married couples are afforded certain privileges by law the marriage must be recognized as being legal and eligible between two people. A marriage certificate, or marriage license, is the state's way of doing just this.
In order for a marriage certificate to be considered valid it must be signed by both parties involved as well as a state approved officiant. This is usually a registrar or county clerk. Marriage certificates, like birth certificates, are kept at a state level and contain the following information:
- Date and location of marriage
- Names of husband and wife
- Witnesses in attendance
- Name of Minister if applicable
Because marriage certificates are a legal form they can be useful for the following:
- Proof of a legal marriage
- Proof of family history
- Obtaining insurance such as medial or life
Divorce Records
Unfortunately, some of the milestones in our lives may not all by happy ones and such is the case with divorce. Because a marriage is a legal binding there must be a legal unbinding as well therefore there are divorce records. Divorce records are normally completed by lawyers and filed in local county courthouses. These documents are instrumental for legally dissolving a marriage and dividing marital assets. They will also often set forth any child support or alimony requirements upon the divorce.
Because each divorce is unique a standard divorce record does not exist however there is some basic information most all of them will include such as the following:
- Name of both parties involved
- Date and location of the marriage
- Date the divorce was finalized
- Judge's signature
- Some may contain legal records such as tax records, income accounts, criminal records, and a list of assets
Divorce records are as important as any other legal document and are used for the following:
- Determining the marital status of a person
- Uncovering an individual's criminal background
- Family genealogy search
- Discovering an individual's last known address
Death Certificate
Finally, one day we'll all come to the end of the line and for this a death certificate will be issued. Death certificates are kept for several different reasons but mainly they help to keep track of the death rates within a state. When a person dies, the coroner will usually issue a death certificate right away although in some cases it may take longer if a cause of death is unable to be determined. The death certificate will include information such as the date, time, location, and as previously mentioned cause of death.
Death certificates provide a legal document useful for:
- Verifying an individual's death
- Useful in estate probate
- File life insurance claims