My daughter is 17 and her biological father has not been in her life for at least 8 years. She wants to change her last name to my current husbands last name, he is the only father she has ever really had. She wants to change her name before she graduates or gets her licence. I don't have much money so going blindly into lawyers offices is out of the question. She has been a wonderful child and this is the only thing she has really asked for. Is there anyone out there that can help us. Thank You

Most likely, you will have to file a petition in the proper court to change your daughter's last name. Her father is entitiled to notice (service).

The biological father would have to consent to allow for the name change. But given the age of your child, the judge may (and should) take into consideration her wishes, along with the fact that she is almost an adult (18).

I know you said you can't really afford an attorney... but in all court matters, it is best if you figure out a way to hire one. You could start calling around and getting free consultations and see what they tell you. You could also visit your court house, and court library and start doing some intensive research to file the forms yourself. But that leaves a lot of room for error... thus why it is better to have an attorney do the work for you.