The genealogical certificate (Abstammungsurkunde) was a civil status certificate under German law to prove the birth of a child and it differs slightly from a birth certificate. The main purpose of the document was to determine marriage bans with adopted children. Since this had little practical significance, the genealogical certificate was abolished on January 1, 2009, by the Civil Status Law Reform Act. The biological fatherhood of the alleged biological father is not assured when printed in the aforementioned genealogical certificate or "certified register of birth."