King v. Newman

BARROW, Chief Justice.

This is a suit brought by the mother and stepfather on behalf of a seven-year-old boy to change his name from William C. King, III, to John Tracy Newman. His natural father intervened and contested the change. After a non-jury trial, judgment was entered granting the application. The trial court did order appellees to correct baptismal and other records to show appellant as the boy’s father and provided specific visitation rights. The basic question to be resolved is, under what circumstances, if any, may the trial court change a child’s name over the objection of its…