A Christmas Miracle: Last-minute delivery of a Canadian Birth Certificate in time for a wedding in Germany

Sometimes it’s not all about winning the case; it’s about having the right paperwork at the right time. That can be a challenge if you need a legal document from Canada for a wedding in Germany. Our team loves a challenge, even during this season.

A couple on the cusp of their dream Christmas wedding in Emmerich am Rhein was blindsided by the requirement for the groom’s birth certificate from Québec. After various solo attempts to get the crucial document, they realized they needed a legal lifeline. They turned to JACOB LAW less than two weeks before their big day and entrusted us with the task of locating and delivering the birth certificate no later than the day of their wedding.

Anthony Fortin, our Québec Notary, accepted the challenge.

After the first phone call with the bride, Anthony shut his office door and launched himself headfirst into the maze of cross-border bureaucratic red tape by making one long-distance call after the next, sometimes in English, sometimes in German and, lastly, in French, fortunately taking advantage of the time difference between the two countries.

Everyone here in the Munich office was caught up in the excitement, following the progress of his calls and the confirmation received from the Directeur de l’état civil that the birth certificate had been located and could exceptionally be delivered by international courier. All of us breathed a first sigh of relief when it was sent to Munich.

We held our breath when, two days before the wedding, the document we had easily dispatched for delivery appeared to be „stuck“ in a German logistics centre in Garching during a bout of bad weather.

With the clock ticking and the courier tracking app indicating imminent delivery, the clients resorted to registering their marriage with only a scan of the birth certificate. Luckily, the German registry office accepted the scan received in the morning of the wedding day on condition that the original could be presented for the actual wedding ceremony in the afternoon. Everyone involved was overjoyed when the package with the birth certificate reached its destination. Our dedicated team at JACOB LAW breathed an even bigger sigh of relief.

This story of how we got the missing birth certificate from Québec City to Emmerich am Rhein is not just another case for us; it’s our Christmas story – a reminder that dedication and a little magic can make dreams come true, even against the relentless ticking clock. This holiday season, we are celebrating not only legal victories, but also victories of the heart.

Our office will be closed for the Christmas holidays beginning December 23. We will be back in the office on January 8th, 2024, and look forward to helping you achieve your goals in the new year.