Legal Question in Family Law in Pennsylvania

February 29th 1956 Birth Certificates

I was born On February 29th 1956, I have a friend who keeps telling people I was born on March 1st 1956, Then says it is my birthday because it is on my Birth Certificate and that Birth Certificates are not Falsified for any reason. I am asking for information for this reason. Please explain the protocol for legal documentation of Birth Certificates for February 29th 1956 and if applicable the reasons for such discrepencies. I would like this situation resolved. Thank you.


Asked on 8/05/06, 10:22 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Roger Traversa Arjont Group (Law Office of Roger Traversa)

Re: February 29th 1956 Birth Certificates

You asked about any legal reason why a birth certificate for a leap day baby would appear as February 28 or March 1.

Yes, seems to happen all the time thanks to the patronizimg attitude of doctors, nurses and even the state. Birth certificates are official docuents but are not sacrosanct. It's been know to happen that they have errors, omissions and in at least one instance a purposefully empty birth YEAR.

The birth certificate was probably fudged to make life easier for the child. Some people erroneously believe that leap day babies can actually count only the years, when they have birthdays. Not true. A birthday is the 356th day after the prior birthday, whether it is a leap year or not. So if it isn't a leap year you should correctly be celebrating on March 1.

But no law says you can't lie about how many birthdays you have actually had.

See: http://leapzine.com/birthcirtificates.htm

Regards,

Roger Traversa

Email: [email protected]

PS - When your freind does her schtick about your birthday, just interject, "Excuse my freind, she must be a Taurus, cause she's so full of bull____." RT

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Answered on 8/05/06, 1:58 pm


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