
Quoting
Mr. Knowitall
There's nothing in Kansas case law or statutes that would give a judge any such authority, or that would make the establishment of paternity a prerequisite for a name change. If you are suggesting that it's possible that a court might overstep its bounds and order something it has no actual authority to require, sure, it's possible, but where would such a list of theoretical possibilities end?
There is case law in Kansas that proceeding with a name change without notice to the biological father is a violation of his Due Process rights, so it's reasonable to expect that the court will require notice to the father. See, e.g., Carroll v. Johnson, 263 Ark. 280, 565 S.W.2d 10 (1978). After receiving notice, if dad wants to oppose the petition or attempt to establish paternity, that's up to him.