Change Your Last Name - article about Change Your Last Name

The right to change your last name goes all the way back to Roman times. The law stated that a person had the right to change their name provided it wasn’t to promote fraud. It is still possible to change your last name but it will require lots of time and paper work.

First let’s consider some reasons not to change your last name. Meaning people have tried, gotten caught, and the schemes just don’t work. You should not try to change your last name to avoid bad credit or bankruptcy. You should not try to change your last name to infringe upon a copyright, trademark or someone else’s name. You should not use numbers if you change your last name, unless you’re talking about Roman numerals at the end of your name. Minors hoping to change their name must go by court decision.

Your next step will be a court proceeding to make it official. This is assuming you’re serious about the change. To change your last name does not mean you have legally adopted someone, legally married someone or have been forgiven of all past sins. It is a very long process and is mainly instituted for marital, legal, business or privacy reasons.

If you decide based on a marriage or divorce, that you want to do it, the process will be simplified. If there’s another reason, then the process will remain complicated. Different states require different paperwork for legal name changes. You can best learn this by calling the court, contacting a lawyer or looking up the state information in a library. County courts can usually help with this, though sometimes it might be a civil or probate matter.

Forms to fill out generally include: a petition of name change, an order granting name change, a legal backer, a notice of petition to the public, an affidavit of consent by an immediate family member, and an affidavit of service of notification to authorities if you’re an attorney, ex-convict, or alien. You will also need your birth certificate.

Forms must be legible and spelled correctly. Some will need to be officially notarized by a notary public. Finally, after a few more formalities, a judge will review the case and either approve your request or call for a hearing if there’s any suspicion. After your return to court, after your announcement, after waiting on the mail and receiving another affidavit and returning to court again, and after another fee the court will issue you an Order Granting Change Of Name.

Sound complicated? It’s even more complicated than you’re thinking. That’s why many people choose to let a lawyer, paralegal, or an online company to handle all the paperwork on behalf of them. They do and it is legal but it costs extra. Many people do have legitimate reasons and when you want to change your last name there is a process set up for those who need a new start in life, legally speaking.

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