How to change my last name to my birth last name?
My current last name is from my adopted father. I'd like to change my last name legally back to my birth last name instead.
How can I do this?
Note: I am 20 years old. Cause I know age makes a different for certain legal matters.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
For a legal name change in the US, you have to file a “petition for name change” and get a “decree” from the court. After age 18, you can file it yourself without anyone’s consent.
Step-by-step instructions along with the appropriate forms can be found on the Internet if you know what to look for. However, there are websites that seem to offer advice but are just there to charge people for the forms or solicit business http://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/i... If you cannot find the proper forms online, then you can go to the county clerk of the appropriate court in the county in which you reside and get a free name change package [a few states don’t have them], in which case you should contact Legal Aid or a local Law School to see if they have the forms.
Also, every state has different laws regarding name change and therefore different forms so don't try to use Wisconsin forms for a Texas name change. In addition, most states treat a “name and sex change” different than a regular “name change” so do not get the two forms confused when searching for forms.
Additionally, some states require fingerprints before the petition for name change can be filed. Michigan is one of these states and you can find the instructions at this website http://www.namechangelaw.com/states/mi/michigan.ht... [This information was provided for reference only.] After the forms are completed, you file them with the clerk of the appropriate court in the county in which you reside and pay the filing fee [between $325.00 and $350.00]. Then you are required to publish the proposed name change in the court approved newspaper for four consecutive weeks before your court appearance. The fee for this will be about the same as the court filing fee for the “petition of name change.”
After all this, you will receive your name change “decree”; ask for multiple copies as you will need them. Sometime the process can be achieved in as little as 4-6 weeks and I have heard of jurisdictions where it can take up to 6-8 months because of the court backlog. The good news is you can accomplish it without an attorney and that will save you a few hundred dollars.
Next, you begin changing your name on all of your records; a list of the records you should change can be found at this website: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/faqEditoria... It is recommended to get your birth certificate amended first as you will need it to get some of the other identification documents.
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