I live in Bronx, New York and would like to know how to leagally change my daughter's last name on he birthcertificate. I am not with her biological father in fact we haven't seen or heard from him in over twwo yrs. She has no idea who he is, and knows my husband as her father seeing how he's been in her life since she was 13months old. I have no idea how to contact her bio father and really don't want to, do I need his permission to change her last name? And how much does it cost to change it?

1. Get a lawyer.
2. Have your lawyer contact the bio dad about relinquishing parental rights
3. If he's okay with that, then move on to having your husband adopt your child.
4. File adoption paperwork and have it heard in court.
5. Name is changed.

If the bio dad will NOT sign over rights voluntarily, you will have a much longer and much more expensive fight on your hands.