Legal Question in Family Law in New Jersey
Changing a minors name from the biological dad to biological mom
I was living with a boyfriend and had a child together with him. At the time I decided to give the baby his name because he was very abusive and threatened me. Now my daughter is 12 years old and he no longer sees her because I have a restraining order for domestic violence. It has been eight years and I have re-married happily and she considers him her father, but she asks that she wants to change her name because she no longer has a dad except my new husband who has been there for 8 out of her 12 years. Is there anything I could do to get her name changed to either my maiden name or my new married name?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Changing a minors name from the biological dad to biological mom
You could file an action in Court to change the name. However, it may be just as easy to have your husband file for adoption. The paper work is only slightly more complicated and you would gain a much greater benefit. Neither procedure would be automatically granted, in any case; therefore, you probably should try for the result that will give you a longer term benefit. Keep in mind that this advice is based purely on the little bit of information that you have given to me. There may be other factors that would change my opinion. Further, no one can rely on advice from an attorney who has not been retained. Since it appears that you have not retained an attorney, before you take any further action, you should contact an attorney (either me or someone else) to discuss your matter in more detail. Only then will you be able to rely on the advice. I will be happy to assist you. However, you need to call me at 856-546-8010. If you mention LawGuru, there will be no charge for your first consultation. Good luck! Rob Gleaner
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