Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013

Part 2 – Presumption on birth of child to married woman

113. Paragraph 2 makes clear that the common law presumption, that a child born to a woman during her marriage is also the child of her husband (often referred to as “the presumption of legitimacy”), is not extended to marriages of same sex couples by section 11. Therefore, where two women are married to each other and one of the parties to that marriage gives birth to a child, the other party will not be presumed to be the parent of that child by virtue of the common law presumption. There may be other ways in which the party to the marriage who does not give birth to the child is treated in law as the parent (for example, if that woman is treated as a parent as a result of the amendment made by paragraph 40 of Schedule 7 to this Act to section 42 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008), but in all such cases it is not the common law presumption that treats her as the parent of that child.

Examples

• A woman, who is married to a man, gives birth to a child. Her husband is presumed to be the father of that child by virtue of the common law presumption.

• A woman, who is married to another woman, has a child by way of artificial insemination. Her wife is not presumed to be the parent of that child by virtue of the common law presumption. Under section 42 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 her wife is treated as the parent of that child, unless it is shown that she did not consent to the insemination.

• A woman, who is married to another woman, has a child by way of natural conception with a man. Her wife is not presumed to be the parent of that child by virtue of the common law presumption. The man is the father of that child.