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  1. #1

    Default Changing a Child's Last Name at His Own Request

    I have a question about changing my 7 year old son's last name. His father and I were never married. In fact, his father decided to hook up with his ex-girlfriend while I was very sick with cancer. After we broke up, he never really saw him unless it was on his terms, and then we went to court. Some issues from his past were brought up that I won't get into here, but suffice to say he was awarded supervised visitations, and once he went for court appointed therapy, he would get unsupervised visitations. He never went for the counseling, and he just stopped visiting with him. He does pay child support, but we haven't heard from him in 5 years. Which is great, because really, he and his girlfriend harassed me when I was in the hospital, threatening me and saying they would take my child away. His mother latched onto me, and wanted to hang out with me and my friends all the time. His family is pretty crazy.
    Tonight my son was in a recital. We were sitting at the table when he said he wanted to have my last name. He said, and I quote, "I was born from you, so I should have your last name." I told him if he still wanted my name when school let out for summer break, I would look into it, but I was wondering just how hard that would be. We live in Pennsylvania, and I like I said, he doesn't know his father. His father's family is very spiteful though, and I am afraid they would contest and all come crawling out of the woodwork and harass us again. I don't want my child to have to go through that.
    I should also mention that my ex's mother showed up here near Christmas, after being absent from his life for 2 years when she just up and stopped coming to see him, and his first instinct when she showed up, even though he didn't know who she was, was to run and hide from her.
    What do you guys think my chances are of changing his name without getting his loopy father's family involved, since the child himself is the one who wants the change? Any feedback would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    28,906

    Default Re: Changing a Child's Last Name at His Own Request

    The law will be different in each state, but I am not aware of any state which would let you complete a name change without notice to the father.

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