When making an adoption order the court usually instructs the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages to cancel the original birth registration and to issue a new registration, which names the applicants as parents as if the child had been born to them [Adoption Act 1988 s 41].

The applicants can ask the court not to cancel the original birth certificate but add their names to it. The child can then apply for a birth certificate with the names of the natural and adoptive parents recorded on it or a copy which only names the applicants as the lawful parents. However, if a natural parent is still alive the original birth registration must be cancelled unless the child knows the natural parents or the natural parents approve of the child having access to this information [Adoption Act 1988 s 41].