questions & answers

Question: I want to hyphenate my daughter's last name.She currently has her biological father's last name,who has nothing to do with her.I have remarried and want to give her mine and my husband's last name,who is the only father she knows.Can I do that? And since I am not removing my ex's last name,do I still need his consent?

Answer:

If you attempt to legally change the name of your daughter while she is a minor, then you are likely obligated to inform the biological father.  The biological father has the right to object to a name change, and absent extraordinary circumstances, the court's will likely defer to any such objection.   Note, if the biological father does not consent, your daughter has the option of legally changing her name when she turns 18 years of age.

To learn more about name change requirements in Arizona, see the "How to Change Your Name" article.