I’m a first time mom and my daughter is 16 months old. Me and her father weren’t together when she was born nor when I was pregnant. She has the last name of the guy I was dating at the time she was born because he was all for her having his last name, being her father, etc. Turns out he was abusive and lied all the time. I ended up leaving him and now he doesn’t see her, ask about her, anything and hasn’t since March of this year. Is there any way I can get her last name changed? How do I go about it? He did sign the papers at the hospital, but we don’t have her birth certificate due to him refusing to give me the paperwork to send off for it. I just need to know where to begin to get her last name changed please.
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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. I wrote in a non bio father on my kids birth certificate and need to change it - Mamas Uncut
You’ll need to prove he isn’t the child’s father with a DNA test and then complete the forms for a name change🥰
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After a year you cannot change the birth cert unless with a judge, good luck and hopefully her bio father will be onboard with a dna test since the state usually won’t allow them as they don’t really care as long as SOMEONE is listed
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I think requesting DNA results from birth certificate dad and then the courthouse papers.
If he is against or refuses to do the DNA test, a little coercion by pushing child support… c:
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Request copy of Birth certificate from state first. You don’t need any papers from fake dad to do this process. Once you get the birth certificate then request DNA from the actual father. case closed he would be the daddy.
You don’t need to prove fake daddy isn’t biological daddy. A DNA on the real daddy will do the trick
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If the guy hasn’t had contact with the child in a certain period of time it’s not going to matter if he’s birth father or not. As suggested above I would get appropriate documents from court house and proceed from there. Of course laws vary by state but here in TN the time frame since father has been involved is a big factor
Never put a man on a birth certificate that’s not the father!! It’s not a game of house it’s a legal document stating the true father whether he’s around or not, or at least keep it blank. You can go to your city vital statistics office to get a copy of any birth certificate you’re on for a minimal fee.
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Depending on the state if you are not married they automatically change last name to your last name. No fathers name listed. First step is to go get a copy and see what is actually on it. Go from there.
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What a mess. I’d go to the Court Registrar & explain that you have made an error when filling out the registration form & now want to rectify the error, and would like advice how to do it. I wouldn’t go through the drama as to why??? Just be factual & I’m sure it can be rectified…all the best
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Depending on the state, it might not matter that he isn’t bio dad. A judge won’t care because to be on the birth certificate(unmarried), the guy would have had to sign an acknowledgment of paternity form. Once he signs that form, it doesn’t matter if he’s blood related or not, he’s acknowledging paternity and taking responsibility. I think the ONLY way to change that would be if bio dad fought for his rights… unfortunately things like this happen which is why it’s really important to NEVER put someone on the birth certificate of your child that isn’t actually the father. Relationships don’t always last, and if it does, he can always adopt the child later(which is another option available to you, if you were to get married in the future)… now, because this guy is on the birth cert, legally, he has as much right to the child as you do and he could even try to fight you for custody, just to be an a*s…
Depends on the state. The courthouse or a family lawyer is a good place to start.
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Get the birth certificate from the health dept for $15. They print it. The hospital sends off the paper work, not you or him. Social security office will be able to answer your other questions.
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You don’t have her birth cert. because he refused to hand in the paper work!!! As a M/B nurse, the mother has to turn in the birth cert, before D/C, if it’s not turned in, then she has 7 days from time of birth to bring it into the hospital, not mail it in or this all has to be done in court, If your daughter’s birth cert, was never turn in, she technically doesn’t have a legal name, Go to the hospital where she was born & speak to the Birth Cert, Coordinator or call her /him up & speak to them & ask what you should to. If you never rec’d one in the mail then it was never filed. So again if it was never turned in, she technically doesn’t have a name & if that is the case, when you do get to file it, you can give her whatever name you want. But call the hospital & speak to the Birth Cert, person & they will tell you want you have to do
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Even if you legally change her name, he is still her legal father. You need to have the biological father petition for a dna test to prove he is the father not the other guy. Otherwise even if you do get her name changes, he’ll still legally be on her birth certificate. That’s how it is in my state anyway. Good luck
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You need his permission or you need to prove he’s not her father, put her real father in (which he has to consent to or you need to file to child support and they’ll do it with a dna test) and have him sign for it
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Are people crazy? Hey we’ve only been dating for a couple months & I know you’re not my husband but can I put my kid in your name. Like the kid is a bill or a car
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Get a paternity test first of all
I think you would have to prove he’s not the father first. Then you can go through the proper court channels to get her name changed.
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Request paternity testing? 🤷
Go to local court house and ask for name change papers. They cost around $80 and they will give you the rest of the steps as you go.
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A whole mess. Y’all need to quit putting men’s names for your kids. That y’all are only dating. This is why!! They don’t HAVE to have a dads last name. Give them yours ! Then when you find a man that wants to marry you and is SERIOUS and doesn’t just say all these things, he can adopt the child and get his last name too.
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Court. I dk why u wouldn’t have given the child YOUR last name if u weren’t married to anyone, or with anyone seriously… court will give u the papers tho, I changed my kids names to my madien name when I divorced.
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Bio father or not if he signed the birth certificate he maybe on the hook for child support. 🤷🤦
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It is every humans birth right to know who both parents are…
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file for child support, I bet he will happily pay for a paternity test and the cost of the legality’s of changing your child’s name 
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You’re going to have to pay alot of money. Get an attorney, get DNA testing showing he’s not the father, get a court order to change the birth certificate. You will probably have to get a DNA test from her biological father too and go to add him to take the other guy off. Him signing that paper is a legal document and can only be changed by a court order.
My child’s father died before she was born and you wouldn’t believe the things and the amount of money its costing me to get everything in order. All because he couldn’t sign that paper at birth and we were engaged and not married.
You cannot just change it per your request. I sent in the DNA to add him as her father and they sent me a letter back stating only a court order will allow me to add him as hed father.
You have to have the ex boyfriend sign away the rights you gave to be claimed her legal father. You may have to take him to court with a DNA test to prove he’s not her father. And show proff of his abuse. After he signs his rights away her biological father would have to adopt her to change her name to his and sign a new birth certificate.
She can do it with no problem when she turns 18 at the court house… Also of you go to the court house if you do not know how to get in touch with him they will have you put it in the news paper for a few weeks if no one contests it they will honor that and change her name, but there is a fee for all that…
It sounds like alot of places are different. For instance we didn’t have to send it in. The hospital did. And you can’t remove it unless the father signs his right off. So maybe look up the info online in your area.
The department of health in the state she was born.
In Iowa, you would have to file a petition to disentablish paternity. That might be what you need to do as well
Contact the vital records department for your state. It varies state to state.
You have to file it thru the courts. A judge has to change her name.
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I would speak with a lawyer.
We’re the papers ever filed
Please reach out to bio dad. He has rights.
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I worked for child support and we did not disestablish paternity. Depending on the state, after a certain amount of time the father listed in the birth certificate is the legal father. Hopefully the bio dad is on board because you’ll need him to admit to paternity and take a test. It would be best to speak to a lawyer in your state.
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If he signed the acknowledgement of paternity at the hospital, you’ll likely have to go through courts to terminate his parental rights.
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