[heaven_leigh_angel527]

I am 5 months pregnant with my first child. The father and I are not together, and he feels that it is his right to have the childs last name be his. I do not agree, and I would like the baby to have my last name. My mother claims that when my little brother, now 3, was born, the father and her had to claim common law marriage. Is there any law or anything that says that we have to be common law married? Is there any way that I can put the last name of the baby as my own, and not have to decide, for example, will it automatically be my last name since we are not married or together.

[Mr. Knowitall]

You will be given the application for a birth certificate at the hospital after the baby is born, and you can fill in the child's name as you want it to appear on the birth certificate.

In order to establish common law marriage in Colorado, the following elements must be met

* The parties must cohabitate;
*The parties must mutually agree to be married; and
* The parties must openly hold themselves out to the public as married.