Terminating parental rights... HELP!!

i'm in need of some advice. i have a 5 year old daughter with this guy i never married. when she was just 2 months old i left him to give her a better life. but i think i made a mistake in the hospital because she has her father's last name. he has never wrote or called or made an attempt to get in contact with her. do i have the right to change her name without contacting him in any way? or do i also have to get legal representation? she was born in oklahoma but we now reside in texas. i don't have a lot of money resources to count, but i have heard of some kind of free representation for people who qualify. how do i get in touch with those agency, and what are qualifications?

thank you for any help i receive!
kandeekisses77

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Originally posted by kandeekisses77
i'm in need of some advice. i have a 5 year old daughter with this guy i never married. when she was just 2 months old i left him to give her a better life. but i think i made a mistake in the hospital because she has her father's last name. he has never wrote or called or made an attempt to get in contact with her. do i have the right to change her name without contacting him in any way? or do i also have to get legal representation? she was born in oklahoma but we now reside in texas. i don't have a lot of money resources to count, but i have heard of some kind of free representation for people who qualify. how do i get in touch with those agency, and what are qualifications?

thank you for any help i receive!
kandeekisses77

My response:

You say "HELP !!" in your listing, making this sound like an emergency. So, what's the emergency ? What's the situation ? Why the dire straits ?

IAAL

i guess there is no "dire" emergency in your eyes, but to me it would mean finally ridding him of our lives for good. you may not think it's such an emergency, but it is to me, and to a lot of other people in my situation. i came here for help, not sarcasm from someone who does not understand!

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Originally posted by kandeekisses77
i guess there is no "dire" emergency in your eyes, but to me it would mean finally ridding him of our lives for good. you may not think it's such an emergency, but it is to me, and to a lot of other people in my situation. i came here for help, not sarcasm from someone who does not understand!

My response:

Usually, asking about a "name change" is not an emergency. That's why I asked for the background so that I could understand the rush.

I'm sorry that you took it as "sarcasm". I thought that perhaps that there was something more to your situation that I would need to know.

I just wanted to know the situation.

See if a Legal Aid office will assist you. You can usually find one in your area by looking in the Government section of your White Pages telephone book, or in your Yellow Pages phone book under Attorneys. Be aware, however, that these agencies are fairly "booked up" and it may take some time to get an appointment, if you're able to get one at all.

Good luck to you.

IAAL