D.W. v. T.L.

{¶ 1} This appeal concerns a trial court’s decision granting a request to change the surname of a child, who was born to unmarried parents, from the surname of the mother as listed on the birth certificate to the surname of the father, over the mother’s objections. For the reasons that follow, we determine that the decision to change the child’s surname was not supported by sufficient evidence as a matter of law. Therefore, we reverse the judgment of the court of appeals and remand this cause to the trial court for entry of final judgment in favor of the appellant mother.

I. Facts and…