changing your name?

Question

what do you need to do to change your last name. is it difficult or expensive. what about passports?

I dont owe anybody anything. it's switching to my moms name. Im just worried about my dual citezenship. born in england live in new york. have two passports.

Answer 1

It really depends on where you live. Here you can go to the courthouse and self-file for a name change. It is a little costly (court filing fees and you must "advertise" the name change, which costs money...see below for more info). However, many counties offer a no-cost or reduced cost filing option if you can show the courts that you are financially unable to pay the fees. Visit your local courthouse or look it up online for self filing forms and to get more information.

The biggest part of a name change is that it is time consuming. You must petition the court, attesting that your name change will not cheat or harm anyone, and then wait for the judge to sign the initial approval. Once that has been done you must "advertise" the name change. This involves printing a short ad in the announcements section of the classifieds of 2 or more newspapers for two weeks (although, this may vary from state to state....you will have to check with your local courthouse for details). You then provide the judge with proof that this has been done (copy of the ad with a paid invoice) and then the judge rules that the name change is complete.

Once that is done, you must then carry the legal paperwork given to you by the courts and have the name change done on all your important legal documents (driver's license, social security card, wills and passport) and financial personal documents (bank accounts, leases, credit cards, loans). Some of these changes cost money (like the cost of a new driver's license or passport) and others simply cost the price of a letter, stamp and copy of the judge's orders to accomplish....either way, it can be a time consuming process.

If you are a minor, the name change cannot be done without consent of both parents.

If it is important to you to change your name for whatever reason, then it is worth it to pursue. If you are doing it on a whim or for shifty reasons (like getting of of paying bills), then it is not worth it and it won't work....you must have your legal name on your social security card to use it and you must use your social security number on many, many things (your employer must report it, you need it for taxes, you have to have it to open a bank account, etc...). Once you change your SSN the credit bureaus and companies are made aware of the change and it won't be long before they not only track you donw, but can get you in trouble for trying to evade paying a legal debt that you owe. The only exception is if someone can show evidence that their life is in serious danger if they can be tied to their old name (such as women who are victims of serious domestic violence and change their names to get a new start away from a dangerous perpetrator).

Hope all this info helps!

Answer 2

1st thing I will tell you is be careful of any advice you get from here. If it is "blanket" advice it is already suspect. State laws can regulate name changes in the United States, still, they cannot altogether forbid common law name changes, though some states like Cali have very strict laws. Other countries are different too.

I would advice you go to the bureau of vital statistics in your state (both where you were born and where you live) and get your information directly. And be cautious of lawyers who tell you it is a cinch and they can handle everything. Just because a lawyer can practice in your state doesn't mean he knows all the laws. Good luck

Answer 3

Hayley Williams

Answer 4

It is expensive. The last I heard was $500 in the US. Every ID you have will have to be changed.

Answer 5

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/namechangeform.htm#name

You have to go through a court process. It really depends on your state.