changing daughters last name

[APA60105]

My daughter was born in Kentucky. When she was 3 weeks old, her, her father and myself moved to Illinois. We were never married and after about 2 months we broke up. He decided to move back to Kentucky. He has not seen her since. There is a child support order for him to pay but he doesn't keep a job long enough for the state to find him. When she was born he was at the hospital and signed the acknowledgement of paternity papers and I gave my daughter his last name. I wanted to know how I would go about changing her last name to mine. I know that if I file the paperwork, I have to put a legal notice in the paper at least 30 days before the court date, but is this the same if he does not live in the state?

 

[WhirledPeas]

Do you know the city in which he lives? If so, that's where you must publish notice. You may also be required to publish in Illinois. The worst that can happen is that the judge says you didn't try hard enough to notify her father and deny your change request.

Child support has nothing to do with this matter.