Guardianship dispute — name of child — name change — welfare of child — reputation of child — Care of Children Act 2004, ss 4 & 5 — M v J FC Porirua FAM-2003-091-369, 21 April 2008 — L v C (1988) 5 NZFLR 193, (1988) 4 FRNZ 68. In these proceedings, the applicant mother sought approval for a name change of the parties' son. She submitted that this was necessary to protect the child's reputation and to stop him from being embarrassed and bullied in the future. The child and the respondent father had very similar names, so there was a risk that Google searches on the child's name would bring up results related to the respondent's criminal offending. The Court found that a name change would be in the child's best interests. Taking account of the need for the child to preserve his relationship with both of his parents and to understand his heritage, the Court decided that the most practical solution was to remove the child's two middle names, which he shared with his father. The child's last name would be a hyphenated combination of his father's and his mother's last names. Judgment Date: 27 January 2022. * * * Note: names have been changed to comply with legal requirements. * * *