Custody & Kidnapping

In terms of the last name of a child, in many situations, this is usually indicated when the child is born and the mother fills out the birth certificate with the child’s first and last name that she has chosen. In order for an unmarried father to appear as the father on the birth certificate, most states require that both parents sign an acknowledgement of paternity declaing that the man is the father. However, I do not know if perhaps some states have any rules about whose last name is used on the birth certificate if the father’s paternity is established or whether all states allow the mother to choose the name. You may be able to call the Department of Vital Records [SEE IF YOU CAN GOOGLE THIS FOR HER STATE TO FIND A LINK - IT MAY HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NAME] where birth certificates are sent to be processed and filed about whether or not establishing paternity affects the child’s last name if the mother wants to keep the mother’s last name for the child.

Also, perhaps you may be able to call the hospital where you will be giving birth to ask about the procedure in terms of filling out the child’s birth certificate. For example, if a mother is worried that the father will be present in the hospital and may try to fill out the birth certificate forms with his last name against the mother’s wishes, perhaps arrangements can be made with the hospital staff to give the mother the forms when the father is not present. You may also want to talk to a lawyer who deals with custody issues to get some advice. Here is a link for lawyers in case you want to get specific advice related to your case since I cannot give advice:LINK