Spero v. Heath

In this appeal, we consider whether a trial court erred in determining that a name change was in the best interest of a child, when the child bore the mother’s surname and the natural father petitioned the court to change the child’s surname to the father’s.

Ella Madison Spero (“Ella”), bom October 30, 2001, is the daughter of David Todd Heath (“Heath”) and Jessica Wynn Spero (“Spero”). Heath and Spero were never married and ended their relationship in 2001, before Ella’s birth. Also before Ella’s birth, Spero told Heath that he was not Ella’s father. Consequently, Ella received the surname…