A simple spelling error in legal documents can open bigger problems.

This man has a girlfriend who has a 5-year-old son.

He was planning a trip for all three of them, so he asked her for her son’s birth certificate.

He then discovered that her son’s name on the birth certificate was incorrectly spelled.

So he advised her to fix it early before he gets older.

Read the full story below for all the details.

AITA for pointing out my girlfriend misspelled her son’s name?

My (39M) girlfriend (36F) and I have been dating for 2 years.

She has a son (5M) from a previous relationship.

His dad has never been in the picture.

Her son’s name is Cary.

This man learned that his girlfriend’s son’s real name is “Carrie,” not “Cary.”

I was planning a trip to Europe for all of us and needed to start the process of getting Cary his first passport.

I asked my girlfriend for his birth certificate, and she gave it to me.

I was confused because the name was spelled “Carrie.”

She said Cary was short for Carrie.

I explained to her that those are actually different names and that “Carrie” is a girl’s name.

He suggested that she have it changed as soon as possible, but she got upset.

She argued at first, but I showed her she was wrong.

She eventually conceded it was a mistake.

I suggested she should get it changed before he gets older.

She dismissed it, saying it’s essentially the same, and that names for girls and boys are more flexible now.

I insisted, and she got upset. She accused me of trying to make her feel dumb for the mistake.

Let’s check out the comments of other people on this story.

A teacher speaks up about this matter.

This person shares their honest opinion.

This user is kinda confused.

Some users find it hilarious.

Finally, this one makes a valid point.

Some problems may seem small now, but may cause huge inconvenience in the future.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.