Court Opinion

ID: 9746312
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 14:11:34.769236+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:11.964637
License: Public Domain

NIGRO, Justice,
concurring.
I agree with the Majority that Commonwealth v. Goodman, 544 Pa. 339, 676 A.2d 234 (1996), is applicable to this case to the extent that it stands for the proposition that the primary purpose of the Judicial Change of Name Statute, other than with regard to minor children, is to prohibit fraud by those attempting to avoid financial obligations. I write separately, however, to emphasize that deterrence against financial fraud may be the primary, but is not the only, purpose behind the Name Change Statute. Rather, there are other types of fraud, besides financial, that the Name Change Statute seeks to prevent.
Courts may face any number of situations, not financial in nature, where an individual is motivated to formally adopt a different name for improper reasons. For example, if evidence discloses that an individual is seeking to change his or her name in order to receive preference as a candidate on a *331university or employment application, the Statute would clearly compel the courts to deny that individual’s name change petition.
However, under the circumstances of this case, I agree with the Majority that the record does not reflect that Appellant is seeking to change his name in order to perpetrate any type of fraud, financial or otherwise. Accordingly, I agree with the Majority’s conclusion that Appellant’s name change petition should be granted.