Name Change for a Child

please let me know ifit works for you. my son is 17. he stopped seeing his father at age 9 and his father never caled to see him after a visit. i dont know what happened and probably never will.his father and i split up when he was 1 month old and were divorced when he was 2. i remarried when he was 7 and my husband has been his dad. he asked about changing his last name to my husbands when he was 9 and has been asking ever since. i asked my ex and he said"no f....ing way" he is remarried with another son and he never sees my son. my oldest changed his name when he truned 18. he is 28 now. i wish that my yongest would be able to change it before he graduates. he wanted it done before he got his license but that didnt happen. i just feel so bad for him. i tried to apply in court for him but they told me i have to have his fathers permission. i told him that he would not be giving up any rights to him. it is just something that is important to him and he still said no. we even tried telling him that he wouldnt have to pay the $30,000 plus he owes in child support and he still said no. i hate to be vindictive, although we dont need his money i am thinking about taking him to court to get the child support. let me know what works for you. thanks and good luck

The courts may still allow this - even if the father disagrees. My son wants the same thing! Your best option is to contact the state and read up on what you can do. It is much easier to just change the name then to adopt. His birth father may feel threatened and that would be why he is against it. My sons father has very little to do with my son and he still doesn't want it to happen. If you have papers showing that you have custody your sons school may allow you to put the last name on his records without going to court. Good luck to you

I think it sounds like he is thinking that you will be changing his name as well, and maybe he is just worried that your going to take his name off, even though you mentioned that you were only changed your maiden name. Maybe it just needs to be explained to him in a little more detail. Hopefully this helped.

I grew up using my step-fathers last name even though it was not "legal". The schools accepted it, my parents insurance, even the bank. I didn't have to start using my real father's last name until I turned 16 and got my driving licence. Just something to consider.
R.

I have not been through this but maybe your new husband can consider adopting your daughter so she will have the same last name as him and drop your ex's last name, if that is possible, I don't know how that really works since he is the real father.

Yes, the court would consider and probably grant this request w/no problems. You're not wanting to remove his name just add your new married name, correct?? What his is problem then????? I used Lyn Anderson as my attorney for adoption and name change of my 7 yr old and she was wonderful. Her address is 16150 N. Arrowhead Fountains Center, Ste 280
Peoria,AZ 85382
Good luck :)

I went through a very similar thing with my daughter. In order to change her name we had to obtain a lawyer. The process we had to take was to list our request in two papers for 30 days, then we had to go before the Judge and state why we wanted her name changed. During that meeting they asked if anyone had any objections. If all parties are agreeable on it there usually isn't any problem. In my experience with my ex, it seemed to be ok for him to do certian things regarding his step children but when it came to his children and having the same requests it became a territorial thing. I would ask your attorney and see what he advises and go from there.