{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-401.020","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 401.020","heading":"Parents or guardian may have child's name changed in District, Family, or","body":"Circuit Court -- Relevant factors.\n(1) Both parents, provided both are living, or one (1) parent if one (1) is deceased, or if\nno parent is living, the guardian, may ha ve the name of a child under the age of\neighteen (18) changed by the District Court, or if the Family Court or Circuit Court\nhas a case before it involving the family, the Family Court of a county with a\nFamily Court, or the Circuit Court of a county without a Family Court of the county\nin which the child resides.\n(2) If one (1) parent refuses or is unavailable to execute the petition for a name change,\nproper notice of filing the petition shall be served in accordance with the Rules of\nCivil Procedure. The court shall conduct a hearing on the petition no later than sixty\n(60) days from the date of service and make findings of fact and conclusions of law\nbased on the best interests of the child. The court shall consider all relevant factors,\nincluding:\n(a) The wishes of the child's parent or parents;\n(b) The wishes of the child as to the name change, with due consideration given\nto the influence a parent may have over the child's wishes;\n(c) The interaction and interrelationship of the child with his or her parent or\nparents, his or her siblings, and any other person who may significantly affect\nthe child's best interests;\n(d) The motivation of the adults participating in the proceeding; and\n(e) The mental and physical health of all individuals involved.\n(3) If the child resides on a United States Army post, military reservation, or fort, his or\nher name may be changed by the District Court, or the Family Court of a county\nwith a Family Court, or the Circuit Court of a county without a Family Court of any\ncounty adjacent thereto.","path":["KRS Chapter 401"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=55610","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:59:28Z","sha256":"55499d67b926933e1ebb9041c4ba8aa0da39591c4ac9edfed6b18fde74eff0a0","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-401.010","next":"us-ky/krs-401.030"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}