Case Name: PIOTROWSKI v. PIOTROWSKI
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1976-09-08
Citations: 71 Mich. App. 213
Docket Number: (Docket No. 26085.)
Parties: PIOTROWSKI v PIOTROWSKI
Judges: Before: Bashara, P. J., and M. F. Cavanagh and D. T. Anderson, JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 71
Pages: 213–219

Head Matter:
PIOTROWSKI v PIOTROWSKI
Opinion of the Court
1. Names — Name Changes — Common Law.
Under the common law a person may adopt any name he or she wishes, without resort to any court and without any legal proceedings, provided it is not done for fraudulent purposes.
2. Names — Name Changes — Legal Name Changes. ■
There is no requirement that any person go through the courts to establish a legal change of name; if a woman changes her name upon marriage there is nothing which forbids her from changing her name back to her maiden name, or any other name, provided it is not done with fraudulent intent.
3. Names — Name Changes — County Probate Courts — Common Law — Statutes.
The statute which authorizes procedures by which any county probate court, upon petition, may change the name of any person does not abrogate or supersede the common law, but rather affirms the common-law right and affords an additional method by which a name change may be effected as a matter of public record (MCLA 711.1; MSA 27.3178[561]).
4. Divorce — Names—Name Changes — Circuit Courts — Restrictions — Statutes.
The use of the word "may” in the statute that authorizes the circuit courts to change a woman’s name at her instance whenever a divorce is granted to her indicates that the court is empowered to decree such a name restoration, with the only restriction being the common-law restriction against fraud or evil intent (MCLA 552.391; MSA 25.181).
References for Points in Headnotes
[1-4, 6-10] 57 Am Jur 2d, Names §§ 9, 10, 12.
Duty and discretion of court in passing upon petition to change name of individual. 110 ALR 219.
[4, 7, 9] 73 Am Jur 2d, Statutes §§ 22, 24.
24 Am Jur 2d, Divorce and Separation §§ 796, 882.
73 Am Jur 2d, Statutes §§ 145,146, 271 et seq.
5. Divorce — Names—Name Changes — Circuit Courts — Minors— Legislature — Legislative Intent — Amendments to Statutes • — Statutes.
The Legislature intended to make the statute, authorizing the circuit courts to change a woman’s name at her instance whenever a divorce is granted, applicable whether or not a minor child is involved, where the Legislature amended the statute to omit a proviso previously contained which stated that the statute did not apply where a minor child was involved (MCLA 552.391; MSA 25.181).
6. Divorce — Names—Name Changes — Court’s Discretion — Minors.
Speculation as to possible embarrassment to, confusion or harassment of, or harmful effect on a child due to the mother having a different name than the child is not sufficient to support a denial of a request to change the mother’s name when a divorce is granted where such request is addressed to the statutorily limited discretion of the circuit court; the exercise of that discretion must be based on reason and on evidence and the circumstance that there is a minor child is not enough to support denial of the request.
Concurrence in Part and Dissent in Part by D. T. Anderson, J.
7. Divorce — Names—Name Changes — Legislature—Legislative Intent — Amendments to Statutes — Statutes.
The Legislature did not intend to mandate a change of name by divorce judgment whenever a woman prays for it when it amended the statute regarding such name changes to remove the absolute bar to a name change where there were minor children involved (MCLA 552.391; MSA 25.181).
8. Divorce — Names—Name Changes — Restrictions—Statutes.
The restriction against a name change by a woman upon divorce judgment if such change is sought with a fraudulent or evil intent applies only to the adoption of "another surname”, other than her birth name or the surname she bore prior to her marriage to her husband in the divorce, and such restriction does not apply back to all circumstances in which a name may be changed (MCLA 552.391; MSA 25.181).
9. Divorce — Names—Name Changes — Legislature—Legislative Intent — Judge’s Discretion — Statutes.
The Legislature intended to recognize the right of a judge to use his discretion to protect the interests of minor children where the children’s mother seeks a change of name by her divorce judgment; such intention is indicated by the retention of the discretionary word "may” and by the form, punctuation and placement of phrases in the statute regarding such name changes (MCLA 552.391; MSA 25.181).
10. Divorce — Names—Name Changes — Judge’s Discretion — Minors.
Restoration of use of the birth name of a mother is discretionary with the judge where the mother seeks a change of name by her divorce judgment; such discretion is not abused where the judge holds that the best interests of the children involved requires a denial of the requested name change.
Appeal from Oakland, Arthur E. Moore, J.
Submitted June 7, 1976, at Lansing.
(Docket No. 26085.)
Decided September 8, 1976.
Complaint by Jeanette Piotrowski against Walter Piotrowski for divorce. Judgment for plaintiff but plaintiffs request for restoration of her maiden name denied. Plaintiff appeals.
Reversed and remanded for an order to restore to plaintiff her maiden name.
Martz, Solner, McGuire & Fitzpatrick, for plaintiff.
Yuille, Zeleznik, Plourde & Russell, for defendant.
Before: Bashara, P. J., and M. F. Cavanagh and D. T. Anderson, JJ.
Circuit judge, sitting on the Court of Appeals by assignment.

Opinion:
M. F. Cavanagh, J.
Plaintiff appeals from a judgment of divorce of September 24, 1975, and claims error in the trial court's denial of plaintiffs request to have her maiden name restored.
Under the common law a person may adopt any name he or she wishes, without resort to any court and without any legal proceedings, provided it is not done for fraudulent purposes. See Kruzel v Podell, 67 Wis 2d 138, 151; 226 NW2d 458, 464 (1975), Petition of Hauptly, — Ind App —; 312 NE2d 857, 859 (1974), Egner v Egner, 133 NJ Super 403, 406; 337 A2d 46, 48 (1975), Application of Lawrence, 133 NJ Super 408, 411; 337 A2d 49, 51 (1975), In re Marriage of Banks, 42 Cal App 3d 631, 637; 117 Cal Rptr 37, 41 (1974), Application of Halligan, 46 App Div 2d 170, 171; 361 NYS2d 458, 459 (1974). There is no requirement that any person go through the courts to establish a legal change of name. Thus, even if a woman changes her name upon marriage, there is nothing which forbids her from changing her name back to her maiden name, or any other name, provided it is not done with fraudulent intent.
In Michigan, as in most states, a statute authorizes procedures by which a court can, upon petition, change the name of any person. MCLA 711.1; MSA 27.3178(561). Such change of name statutes do not abrogate or supersede the common law. To the contrary, they affirm the common law right and afford an additional method by which a name change may be effected as a matter of public record. Kruzel v Podell, supra, Petition of Hauptly, supra, Egner v Egner, supra, Application of Lawrence, supra, In re Marriage of Banks, supra, Application of Halligan, supra.
Another Michigan statute — directly at issue here — authorizes the circuit courts, whenever a divorce is granted, to change the woman's name, at her instance.
"The circuit courts of this state, whenever a decree of divorce is granted, may, at the instance of the woman, whether complainant or defendant, decree to restore to her her birth name, or the surname she legally bore prior to her marriage to the husband in the divorce action, or allow her to adopt another surname if the change is not sought with any fraudulent or evil intent." MCLA 552.391; MSA 25.181.
The use of the word "may" would indicate that the court is empowered to decree the name restoration, with the only restriction being the common law one, that the change not be with any fraudulent or evil intent.
In the instant case the judge refused plaintiffs request because there was a child and, if plaintiffs request were granted, the mother would have a different name from the child's.
"The Court: I do not think she should change her name if there is a child.
"Mr. McGuire [Plaintiffs Counsel]: The statute allows the party to change.
"The Court: It is permissive.
"Mr. McGuire: Yes, it is permissive.
"The Court: I do not think I should. I think the child should be able to go by the name of its parents.
"Mr. McGuire: Your Honor, I am not asking for the child's name to be changed.
"The Court: I know that, but you will have a mother with a different name than the child. The mother probably is going to have custody.
"Mr. McGuire: I would assume so.
"The Court: I think she ought to keep the same name as her child. You don't get into all that trouble about going to school and so forth."
Prior to amendment in 1975 of MCLA 552.391; MSA 25.181 by 1975 PA 40, the statute contained a proviso that it did not apply when there was a minor child or children. The amended statute does not contain that proviso and we therefore presume that its exclusion was intended to make the statute applicable whether or not a minor child was involved.
Under the statute a request like the instant one is addressed to the statutorily limited discretion of the circuit court. The exercise of that discretion must be based on reason and on evidence. The circumstance that there is a minor child is not enough to support denial of the request. Speculation as to possible embarrassment to, confusion or harassment of, or harmful effect on the child or children due to the mother having a different name is not sufficient either. Egner v Egner, supra, In re Marriage of Banks, supra, also, Petition of Hauptly, supra. Denial of the request was an improper exercise of the court's discretion.
We have reviewed the three other issues raised by appellant. They relate to certain support and property settlement provisions contained in the judgment of divorce, matters within the discretion of the trial court. We find no abuse of this discretion.
Reversed and remanded for a decree to restore to plaintiff her maiden name. No costs, neither party having prevailed in full.
Bashara, P. J., concurred.