WPC# 9# .U N9 % 0% 0w@p 4  F 0D N] _ ma x B> 0J[ 0T 0^ 0hW 0r 0|1 0 03 1u 0d8 AQb 0D 0@9 0Dy D/ B D3 U><U*zB)DC AMU*]CUv~gvHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh'() Z 6Times New Roman Regular($74dd7TRY3' LetterY3' Letter 3' Letter 3' LetterT  }74}7!!    (n(2$ !70dd7TRY3' Letter3' 3' Letter3'T  303!     XXX0   `   0   DDӀz=#5XXDXXX3|xBROWN V. BAIRD - OPINION  " ' IB011C2 (#$  0  ULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5P Pd2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X"#$&C<< C- -(3$ !  ("$    ($$   1  ' dxd d(((('dxd<  9p`(&Times New Roman<  9p`(Times% Line 7 d00007Border 1dd#1C << G<  9p`(Arial  !  #d#..\R3'\       ""  33   YYY FILED3XOctober17,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk    !#d#..\R3'\       $   X .X         _ThetrialcourtalsorequiredMr.Browntobeginpaying$25perweekinchildsupportandgrantedMr.Browndefinedvisitation.Afterthecasewasappealed,Mr.BrownmovedtoOklahomatoattendcollege,andthepartiesagreedtomodifythevisitationarrangements.Accordingly,theissueoriginallyraisedbyMs.Bairdconcerningthecustodyarrangementsisnowmootandneednotbeconsideredonthisappeal.  !#d#..\R3'\       $   X .X         _Tenn.CodeAnn.683305(b)(1)(1996)statesthat [_i]f_Ԁthemotherisnotmarriedatthetimeofeitherconceptionorbirthorbetweenconceptionandbirth,thenameofthefathershallnotbeenteredonthecertificateofbirth,andthesurnameofthechildshallbethatofthelegalsurnameofthemother.Allinformationpertainingtothefathershallbeomitted.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . ..#//d#\R3'\       _       X \RA'\\RA'\70dd7.ԛ @ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ MIDDLESECTIONATNASHVILLE. ̜R241A1-j|;`  `@RߛINRE:     )MADISONRENEEBAIRD  )      )WILLIAMALANBROWN,  )      ) Plaintiff/Appellee,   )      )      ) RutherfordJuvenileVS.      ) No.1131C      )      ) AppealNo.MANDYRENEEBAIRD,  ) 01A019704JV00148      ) Defendant/Appellant.  )@ APPEALFROMTHEJUVENILECOURTFORRUTHERFORDCOUNTY@ THEHONORABLEDAVID_LOUGHRY_,JUDGEForthePlaintiff/Appellee:    FortheDefendant/Appellant:JohnB._Melton_,III     DarrellL.ScarlettMurfreesboro,Tennessee    Murfreesboro,Tennessee@ .REVERSEDANDREMANDED .        WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE    .Ԝ̛@ OPINION . Thisappealconcernsadisputeovera_nonmarital_Ԁchildssurname.Approximatelysixweeksafterthechildsbirth,thefatherfiledalegitimationpetitionintheRutherfordCountyJuvenileCourtseekingtoestablishpaternity,tosetvisitation,andtogivethechildhissurname.Followingabenchtrial,thejuvenilecourtchangedthechildssurnamefromhermothersnametoahyphenatednamethatincludedbothparentssurnames.Onthisappeal,themothertakesissuewiththetrialcourtsorderchangingthechildssurname.Wereversetheportionofthetrialcourtsorderchangingthechildssurnamebecausewehavedeterminedthatthefatherhasnotcarriedhisburdenofprovingthatchangingthechildssurnameisinherbestinterests. @ i.  MandyReneeBairdgavebirthtoMadisonReneeBairdonJuly19,1996.Shedeclinedtoincludethenameofthechildsbiologicalfatheronthebirthcertificateandapparentlyrebuffedthefathersattemptstovisitthechild.OnSeptember3,1996,WilliamAlanBrownfiledalegitimationpetitionintheRutherfordCountyJuvenileCourtrequesting(1)thatthechildsbirthcertificateidentifyhimasthebiologicalfather,(2)thatthechildssurnamebechangedtoBrown,and(3)thathebeawardedliberalvisitationwiththechild. ThejuvenilecourtconductedahearingonNovember21,1996duringwhichMs.BairdandMr.Brownweretheonlywitnesses.Mr.Browninsistedthatthechildssurnameshouldbechangedto BairdBrowninordertoreflecthisparentage.Ms.Bairdopposedthissuggestiononthegroundsthatshehadtherighttonamethechildandthatgivingachildahyphenatedsurnamewoulddifferentiatethechildfromotherchildrenandcouldcallattentiontothefactthatshewasbornoutofwedlock.OnDecember20,1996,thejuvenilecourtenteredanorderconcludingthatitwouldbeinthechildsbestintereststochangehernametoMadisonReneeBairdBrownanddirectingthatanewbirthcertificatebeissuedshowingthechildsnewnameandthatherbiologicalfatherwasMr.Brown. 5   @ II.  ThesoleissueonthisappealinvolvesthejuvenilecourtsdecisiontochangethechildssurnamefromBairdtoBairdBrown.OuranalysismuststartwiththerecognitionthatTenn.CodeAnn.683305(b)(1)(1996)requiresthatanonmaritalchildssurnamebethatofitsmother. 6   ׀Thereafter,anypersondesiringtochangethechildssurname,includingthechildsbiologicalfather,hastheburdenofprovingthatchangingthechildssurnameisinthechildsbestinterests.SeeHalloranv.Kostka,778S.W.2d454,456(Tenn.Ct.App.1988). Theamountofproofrequiredtojustifychangingachildssurnameisnotinsubstantial.Minorinconvenienceorembarrassmentarenotenough.SeeLaymanv.Replogle,App.No.01A019312CV00516,1994WL228227,at*2(Tenn.Ct.App.May27,1994)(NoTenn.R.App.P.11applicationfiled);InreLackey,App.No.01A019010PB00358,1991WL45394,at*2(Tenn.Ct.App.April5,1991)(NoTenn.R.App.P.11applicationfiled).Amongthefactorsforcourtstoconsiderincasesofthissortare:(1)thechildspreference,(2)thechangespotentialeffectonthechildsrelationshipwitheachparent,(3)thelengthoftimethechildhashaditspresentsurname,(4)thedegreeofcommunityrespectassociatedwiththepresentandproposedsurname,and(5)thedifficulty,harassment,orembarrassmentthatthechildmayexperiencefrombearingeitheritspresentoritsproposedsurname.SeeBarabasv.Rogers,868S.W.2d283,287(Tenn.Ct.App.1993). Mr.Brownpresentednoevidenceconcerninghowchanginghisdaughterssurnamewouldbenefitthechild.Hestatedonlythathebelievedthatthechildssurnameshould reflecthisparentageandthat thehyphenatedlastnamewouldnotadverselyimpactthechild.Thesesortsofgeneralstatementsofbelieforopinionareinsufficienttoprovethataproposednamechangeisinthechildsbestinterests.SeeInre_Schidlmeier_,496A.2d1249,125354(Pa.Super.Ct.1985);InreGrimes,609A.2d158,16162(Pa.1992)(decliningtorequireahyphenatedsurname);Inre_M.L.P._,621S.W.2d430,___(Tex.Civ.App.1981);_Lufft_Ԁv._Lufft_,424S.E.2d266,___(W.Va.1992). Therecordbeforeuscontainsnoindicationthatthechildsoriginalsurnameisdetrimentaltoherorthattheproposedhyphenatedsurnamewouldbeofsomebenefit.Thereisnoproofthatthechildsoriginalsurnamehasorwillhaveanyeffectonherrelationshipwithherparentsandextendedfamilyorthatshewillbeinconveniencedorembarrassedifshecontinuestobeknownbyheroriginalsurname.Accordingly,wefindthatMr.BrownfailedtocarryhisburdenofproofandthattherecorddoesnotcontainsufficientcompetentevidencetosupportthejuvenilecourtsconclusionthatchangingthechildssurnamefromBairdtoBairdBrownisinthechildsbestinterests.@ III.  WereversetheportionofthejuvenilecourtsjudgmentdirectingthatthechildssurnamebechangedfromBairdtoBairdBrownandremandthecaseforfurtherproceedingsconsistentwiththisopinion.WealsotaxthecostsofthisappealtoWilliamAlanBrownforwhichexecution,ifnecessary,mayissue.̜       _____________________________       WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGECONCUR:̛̜____________________________________HENRYF.TODDPRESIDINGJUDGE,MIDDLESECTION̛̜̜____________________________________WILLIAMH.INMAN,SENIORJUDGE