Changing a Child’s Surname – What to Consider
There is nothing stopping a former wife changing from her married name back to her maiden name after a separation. However, changing a child’s surname is very different. In considering whether a child’s surname should be changed the court has set out various factors.
Factors that need to be considered include:
- The welfare of the child
- The short and long-term effects of any change in the child’s surname
- Any embarrassment likely to be experienced by the child if their name is different from that of the parent with day-to-day care
- Any confusion of identity for the child if his or her name is changed or not changed
- The effect any change in surname may have on the relationship between the child and parent whose name the child bore during the marriage and
- The effect of frequent or random changes
The court is prepared to alter children’s surnames and to employ the use of hyphenated surnames, however, this becomes a matter of balancing all the relevant factors.
If you would like your child’s surname changed, we highly recommend that you seek professional legal advice. We will inform you of the options available to you as well as the possible and likely outcomes. For your fixed-fee initial consultation, please call us on (07) 3221 4300.