D.W. v. T.L.

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After an unmarried couple ended their relationship, they reached an agreement on issues pertaining the parental rights and responsibilities regarding their child. A hearing was held on the only remaining issue that the couple could not agree upon: what the child's surname should be. The magistrate ordered that the child's surname be changed from the mother's last name to his father's last name. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the decision to change the child's surname was not supported by sufficient evidence as a matter of law, as the trial court did not confine its consideration to the best interest of the child and improperly founded its decision on gender-based conventions and stereotypes. Remanded for entry of final judgment in favor of the mother. View "D.W. v. T.L." on Justia Law