Births registered by both parents: what does this suggest about the parents?

Births registered by both parents: what does this suggest about the parents?

• A. The couple must be married
• B. The couple live apart
• C. The couple were cohabiting
• D. The joint address indicates the couple were living together

Answer: (C)

Births registered by both parents point to a two-person parenting unit, where both adults are taking joint responsibility for the child. In practice, this usually means the parents are in a relationship and living together as a couple, i.e., they are cohabiting. This is stronger evidence of a two-parent intimate partnership than simply sharing a surname or address, and it does not by itself prove marriage. It also doesn’t automatically show that they live apart, since the registration event involves both parents being present.