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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Sunrise, FL
    Posts
    5

    Default Changing My Daughter's Last Name

    Hello,

    I have a 6 year old daughter. When she was bron I did not list a father on her birth certificate. The relationship I was in was not good. He left, ad I have had no contact with him since she was born. I was on medicaid when I was pregnant, and to continue receiving benefits after her birth, I had to file for child support. I put his name as the father. I was granted child support, but the case has since been dropped. He is unable to be contacted. I got off medicaid shortly thereafter, and still to this day have had no contact with him, and although I have made many search attempts, can not locate him. He was served to go get a paternity test, but did not go, so paternity was never established, and he never signed her birth certificate. I am unsure at this point that he is, in fact, her father.

    I am now married, and have been with my husband since she was 5 months old. She is entering Kindergarten this year, and I want to change her last name to my married name (she has my maiden name now). Is there any way to just change her name without having to go through the hassle of continuing to try and contact the possible father/s? I am not trying to push through with a legal adoption, we do not need a piece of paper for my husband to know our little girl is his daughter. I just want to change her name to our family name. She has no idea she is different, and I'd like to keep it that way until she is old enough to understand. I would like to list an article in the newspaper, but am unsure on the wording of it.........any ideas with that???

    In the mean time, If I go to the courthouse to petetion for name change and filll in father "unknown" could I have it done?

    Any help you can give will be much appreciated. I am located in Broward County Florida.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Changing My Daughter's Last Name

    Quote Quoting Gimme999
    View Post
    He was served to go get a paternity test, but did not go, so paternity was never established, and he never signed her birth certificate. I am unsure at this point that he is, in fact, her father.
    Typically, once a paternity action has been started and the putative father has been served, the failure to show up for DNA testing would result in a default judgment of paternity. If that happened, he's been adjudicated the child's legal father.
    Quote Quoting Gimme999
    Is there any way to just change her name without having to go through the hassle of continuing to try and contact the possible father/s?
    The father is entitled to notice of a name change proceeding.
    Quote Quoting Gimme999
    In the mean time, If I go to the courthouse to petetion for name change and filll in father "unknown" could I have it done?
    I doubt that anybody here is going to tell you to lie on documents you file with a court.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Sunrise, FL
    Posts
    5

    Default Re: Changing My Daughter's Last Name

    So because I filed for child support for the sole reason of obtaining Medicaid for my daughter..........that is considered "starting paternity action"? Nothing ever became of it, and the child support case has been closed.

    He was ordered to may support, and never has. It has been almost 6 years. I have seen or heard nothing of him. I have done people searches.......locators and looked anywhere I could think of. It all leads me back to his address in Davie, FL and I have been there. His step-father and mother divorced over 3 years ago and the step father does not know of his whereabouts either.

    How would I word a newspaper article? I'd like to post a few today, but am reluctant to post my address or whone number. What do I say? How do I word it? What section do I put it in, and how do I keep acceptable record of it? Also how long is long enough to run it? 30 days? I read somewhere that I have to give him "ample" time. Well to me 5 years is ample time.....but obviously I can't make that decision. Once I have made these listings and an acceptable time frame has passed, what do I do?

    Than k you for your response and any future responses!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    28,906

    Default Re: Changing My Daughter's Last Name

    Florida name change forms are available here. If you need more instruction than the forms provide, you may wish to look into whether you can get assistance from a local self-help center.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Sunrise, FL
    Posts
    5

    Default Re: Changing My Daughter's Last Name

    At that point, if I file with the courts, an article in the paper is posted and SOMWHOW he finds out and contests it........(which I know he will because he is that spiteful) Do I have any grounds to stand on to not allow him to?

    I tried many many times with him when she was weeks old to work it out.....for him to see her. But he wanted nothing to do with her, unless I came with the deal. I ended our relationship and he dropped off the face of the earth. He knows if I file for a name change and a possible step parent adoption and he signs, it will be giving me what I want.......and he wont have that. IF he somwhow contests it, what are my options?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    28,906

    Default Re: Changing My Daughter's Last Name

    If he contests the name change, you will be able to try to convince the court that his objections should not prevent it from occurring.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Sunrise, FL
    Posts
    5

    Default Re: Changing My Daughter's Last Name

    So at this point, wher do I begin......do I get a lawyer, or can this be handled by me? Do I just go to the courthouse with all of my information and searched that I have done?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    28,906

    Default Re: Changing My Daughter's Last Name

    You were already provided with a link to the forms needed to initiate a name change. If you can take it from there, there's no reason you can't handle things yourself. If not, a paralegal service or lawyer would likely be helpful.

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