London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 29, 2026

Woman who had to adopt own child made legal parent

Woman who had to adopt own child made legal parent

A woman who was forced to adopt her own child after a legal blunder has won the right to be recognised as their parent.

Sarah Osborne, who was in a same sex relationship, was refused permission to be named as a parent on the birth certificate after a Cambridge registrar said "there could only be one mother".

The High Court has now revoked the adoption order and quashed the original birth certificate.

Cambridgeshire County Council said it recognised the impact of the events.

Ms Osborne had been told she would have to adopt the child.

Speaking after the ruling, Ms Osborne, 48, said she was "delighted, and look forward to being registered, as I always have been, as the parent of my child".

The law at the time of the birth, in 2014, was clear that same-sex female couples who have a child through IVF - and who consented to being treated as a parent - should be named on the child's birth certificate.

But when Ms Osborne and her partner, Helen Arnold, went to register the birth at Cambridge Register Office, she was told she could not be put on the birth certificate.

The registrar said that unless Sarah was the father, and she "clearly isn't", then her name could not be put on the birth certificate.

"The disrespectful, indignant and flippant attitude of the registrar made me feel stupid for asking or expecting to be named as a parent," said Sarah, "as if I was a random stranger off the street."


The family were told that Sarah had to carry out a "step-parent" adoption when the child was 6 months old.

Several meetings with social workers were arranged in 2015 as they assessed her suitability to be a parent.

She was told that adopting a child "was not to be taken lightly" and had to complete a criminal records check and apply for a court order, which was granted in November 2015.

It wasn't until the couple had a second child in 2018, and Ms Osborne was registered as the parent, that they realised that something was wrong. "Sarah should never have had to adopt our child," said Helen.

"We have always been our child's mothers and it is outrageous that we have been through the painful and humiliating process of Sarah having to adopt."

The family lawyer, Jeremy Ford of The Cambridge Family Law Practice, commended the women on waiving their right to anonymity and "bringing this issue to national attention as there may be other couples who have suffered the same injustice."

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire County Council said: "We hope that today's hearing provides a clear way forward, to allow the necessary legal steps to be taken to achieve a birth registration which names both parties as parents.

"We recognise the impact this has had on the family, and would welcome the opportunity to work with the General Register Office on a review to try and prevent any family or local authority being in a similar situation again."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Launches New Measures to Improve Safety Standards in Night-Time Venues
UK Tightens Import Rules for Low-Value Parcels to Support Domestic Retailers
UK Launches £85 Million Obesity Care Programme Targeting Early Intervention Projects
UK Commits Up to $26 Million to Ebola Response in Democratic Republic of Congo
Security Industry Authority Flags Safety Failures in Night-Time Economy Inspections
Cambridge South Railway Station Opens After £250 Million Investment
UK Moves to Close Import Duty Loophole for Small Parcels by 2028
UK Invests £85 Million in Projects to Transform Obesity Care
Berkeley Group Warns London Housebuilding Falling Far Short of Demand
UK Council Tax Arrears Rise to £9.3 Billion Amid Ongoing Household Financial Strain
Markets Watch Political Transition as Andy Burnham Emerges as Labour Leadership Frontrunner
Extreme Heat Raises Long-Term Risks for UK Inflation and Productivity, Analysts Warn
UK Health Alerts Extended as Record June Heatwave Grips England
UK Parliament Faces High-Stakes Week of Spending, Security and Industrial Legislation
UK Repeals Vagrancy Act Ending Criminalisation of Rough Sleeping in England and Wales
GB News Pundit Charged With Fraud Over Alleged Conduct as Former Labour Adviser
Reform UK Gains Parliamentary Visibility in First Senedd Opposition Appearance
Metropolitan Police Arrest Man on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After London Car Incident
Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner Faces Scrutiny Over £100 Million Remuneration Package
British Chambers of Commerce Downgrades UK Growth Outlook to 0.9 Percent for 2026
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Failings Trigger Renewed Calls for Public Inquiry
Severe Heatwave Disrupts UK Transport Networks and Strains Public Services Across England
Labour Leadership Transition Raises Prospect of Andy Burnham Becoming UK Prime Minister
UK Government Confirms Further Medicine Price Concessions for Community Pharmacies in June
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Public Procurement Reform to Boost Regional Growth
Thousands Mark Armed Forces Day Across the United Kingdom With National Parades and Flypasts
Man Arrested in Ealing on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Vehicle Ramming Incident Injures Five
Cambridge South Station Opens With £250 Million Investment to Strengthen Life Sciences Corridor
UK Heat-Health Alerts Extended Across England as High Temperatures Persist
Thames Water and Energy Operators Warn of Peak Demand Risks During UK Heatwave
Government Conference Highlights Push for Evidence-Led Policy Across UK Public Sector
Insolvency Service Reports Improved Confidence in UK Insolvency System
Security Industry Authority Finds Widespread Safety Failures in UK Night-Time Economy
Nigel Farage Expands Anti-WHO Campaign Into United States With New Lobbying Structure
Home Secretary Seema Mahmood Unveils New Safe Routes Plan for Asylum Seekers
UK Government Warns of Peak Electricity and Water Pressure Amid Ongoing Heatwave
New Nuclear Plant in Wales Named Gwyndod Power Station as Energy Strategy Advances
UK Announces First Major Hydropower Projects in Four Decades to Expand Renewable Capacity
Thirteen Men Charged in Major UK Sexual Abuse Case as Investigation Continues
UK Launches Cross-Sector Climate Security Taskforce Linking Environment and National Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres Calls for Urgent Global Methane Emissions Cuts in London
World Bank Approves $1 Billion UK-Backed Financing Package for Ukraine Recovery
UK Pledges Emergency Aid and Rescue Team Deployment to Earthquake-Hit Venezuela
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent for Fourth Straight Meeting
Record-Breaking Heatwave Puts Strain on UK Health Services and Energy Networks
London Ambulance Service Sees Record Emergency Demand as Heatwave Intensifies
British Chambers of Commerce Warns of Prolonged Weak Investment Climate Through 2027
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Inflation Risks Persist
UK Construction Sector Faces One Percent Contraction Amid Cost and Investment Pressures
Former DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Convicted of Sexual Offences
×