Changing child's last name
Hello all,
I was surfing this topic this AM and here I am. My situation is a bit different, yet may have the same restrictions, I don't know.
My daughter continually asks to change her name. She is, of course, my step-daughter. Now, here's the deal:
My wife's ex, is not her biological father, but he adopted her. Shortly thereafter my wife discovered that he's a complete deadbeat and the divorce was instantaneous. My daughter considers me her dad and seeing as she has had absolutely no contact in three years, not even an e-mail, from her "legal" father, and within the last eight years has only seen him on two occasions, she has no interest in ever seeing or hearing from him again. She's in her late teens if that makes a difference.
There is no influence from her mother or myself on this issue, it is something that she wants.
Her biological father wanted nothing to do with her from the onset and relinquished all rights before she was born, so there's not issue on that side either.
How's that for a conundrum? Any insight?
To add: We have told here that she can use whatever name she wants, but she is adamant on a legitimate change.