Getting vital records for your living parents

[sfitz]

Hi there,

I need to get a BC, MC and divorce document for my mother from Cook County, IL. They are saying that she has to get these documents herself because she is living, that it is state law. Unfortunately, I am currently not on great terms with my mother. Is there any way around this that you can think of?

Sue

[mler]

Actually, that's pretty standard. The government is trying to avoid identity theft issues, so documents of this nature are only available to the person to whom they pertain. Talk to your mom; she may surprise you.

Btw, if your mother is not in the direct line, you may be able to convince the consulate to accept your application without these documents or can you get the MC and divorce papers through your dad?

[sfitz]

Unfortunately, she is in my direct line. And my father is not an option either as he left the family many years ago. Thankfully I could get his BC because the state he was born in allows it.

[mler]

If you are the child of the first marriage, you will not need the divorce papers.

Regarding the birth certificate, you may want to try the local church to see if you can obtain baptismal records. Depending on your consulate, this may be accepted in lieu of the birth certificate. Can you get by without the marriage records? Maybe, if your consulate is a more liberal one. After all, Italian citizenship is conveyed never if the parents are not married.