My question involves name change laws in the State of: Texas
My son is four months old, his father and I were never married and we recently separated. My son is now living with me at my parents house.
When my son was born, we gave him his father's last name because at the time we were planning on eventually getting married. Things didn't work out and my son and I had to move out and now I want to know if I can change his last name to mine.
I spoke to his father about it but he absolutely refuses to sign off on it, which I read online that he would need to since he is on the birth certificate. I don't want to remove the father from the birth certificate, just change my son's name.
I did file for child support, but really only because I had to to try to get adult Medicaid. His father is not working right now and I know he can't pay child support at this time, but I had my case worker file it anyway. (I don't know if child support has anything to do with a name change so just throwing that info out there; we haven't gone to court for anything, we only separated a couple weeks ago.)
Can I change my son's last name to mine without the father's consent, and how difficult will it be?
Would I be better off just trying to hyphenate his last name, and then could he just use mine informally?

