Confused about paternity leave forms - do doctors sign PFL baby bonding paperwork?

There's definitely confusion happening here. For PATERNITY LEAVE (baby bonding under PFL), you DON'T need a doctor to sign anything! Sounds like the rep was confusing baby bonding PFL with pregnancy disability. Here's what you should do: 1. Fill out form DE2508 (Paid Family Leave form) NOT the SDI form 2. Include a copy of the birth certificate with SSN written on it 3. If you already submitted the wrong form (DE2501 disability claim), that's probably why they're asking for doctor info Paternity leave is through the Paid Family Leave program, which is different from disability. No medical certification needed - just proof of relationship (birth certificate).

lol classic EDD mixup, they always confuse the forms. happened to my brother last year too. def sounds like u filled out the pregnancy disability form (DE2501) instead of the baby bonding form (DE2508). just send in the right one asap with birth certificate

The EXACT same thing happened to me! Complete nightmare. I spent 3 DAYS trying to reach someone at EDD to explain why my paternity leave claim was stuck saying "medical certification needed" when it was baby bonding! The automated system is terrible and kept giving wrong info. I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - saved me hours of redial hell. They got me connected to an EDD agent in about 30 minutes who sorted it all out. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 The agent explained that their system sometimes auto-classifies new claims incorrectly. She removed the medical certification requirement from my file and processed my claim right away. Might be faster than starting over with a new application.

Doctors DO NOT sign paternity leave paperwork!! The EDD rep gave you incorrect information. My husband just went through this in January 2025. For baby bonding (which includes paternity leave), you need form DE2508 and proof of relationship (birth certificate). That's IT. No doctor involved. For PREGNANCY disability, you need form DE2501 with doctor certification. Lot of people get confused because maternity leave is actually TWO SEPARATE CLAIMS: 1. Pregnancy Disability (before/after birth) - requires doctor 2. Baby Bonding PFL (after disability ends) - NO doctor But for dads, it's ONLY baby bonding PFL - no disability claim needed!

UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD! You all were right - we submitted the wrong form (pregnancy disability instead of PFL). The agent was really helpful and said we need to: 1. Fill out the DE2508 (Paid Family Leave form) 2. Write "CORRECTION - REPLACES ERRONEOUS DE2501" at the top 3. Include baby's birth certificate 4. Write my husband's SSN on everything She said they'll link it to our original submission date once they process it. Thank you all for your help!!

this is why the whole system is broken. my wife handled all our baby paperwork cause when i tried it was just too confusing. why cant they just make ONE FORM for baby leave??? why does it matter if its the mom or dad??? so stupid.

For the benefit of others finding this thread later, here's a quick reference for EDD forms related to new children: - DE2501: State Disability Insurance (SDI) - Used for pregnancy, childbirth recovery, or your own medical condition. Requires doctor certification. - DE2508: Paid Family Leave (PFL) - Used for bonding with new child (mothers AND fathers) or caring for ill family members. NO doctor certification needed for baby bonding, just proof of relationship (birth certificate). Dads only use DE2508 for bonding. Moms typically use DE2501 first (pregnancy/recovery), then DE2508 for bonding after recovery period ends. Common mistakes: 1. Using wrong form 2. Missing proof of relationship document 3. Not including SSN on all documents 4. Filing too early (must file within 41 days after leave begins, not before

Just wanted to add - make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING you send to EDD! I learned this the hard way when they "lost" my first submission and I had to prove I'd sent it on time. Also, when you write your SSN on the birth certificate copy, use a pen (not pencil) and write it clearly in the top right corner. The processing center sometimes has trouble reading handwriting and will reject documents for being "illegible." One more tip - if you're mailing the corrected DE2508 form, send it certified mail with return receipt. It's a few extra dollars but gives you proof of delivery date, which can be crucial if there are any timing disputes later. Good luck with the rest of your claim process!