Who all can change their name legally
All the people apply for legal name change can be primarily divided into three categories, or rather groups I would say: Adults, Child (Minor) and Family. Adults, both men and women, can apply for name change. The name change application for children can be filed by parents or guardians. If all members in one family want to change their last name legally, they can file a name change petition as a one unit and once approved, all family members will be able to use the new last name for all of their legal documents.
Why do name change
Different people have different sort of reasons for name change. But here we will take a look at some of the most common reasons why people across America opt for legal name change. Just continue reading.
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Marriage
A large number of newlywed brides take their spouse’s surname legally every year. In some states including New York, California, Georgia, North Dakota and Massachusetts, there are stories of men who legally accept their wife’s surname as their last name after marriage.
Instead of choosing the idea of any one partner changing his or her surname, some couples decide to hyphenate their surnames to create a brand new surname for both partners. The name change process after marriage may vary from one state to another. You will need to enquire about the relevant laws in your state before you move ahead with the legal name change idea.
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Divorce
When a woman, who legally changed to married name after marriage, files for a divorce, she can add an application to replace her married name with her birth name (maiden name) in her divorce decree. Some women also prefer having a new name instead going back to maiden name after their divorce is granted. If a matter of kids’ custody is involved in the divorce procedure, minors may also undergo the process of legal name change.
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A troublesome or awkward existing name
If you find your existing name a bit abnormal, funny or annoying, legal name change is the answer. Some names are very difficult to pronounce or spell; if you own such name, name change makes a great solution.
If people always pronounce or spell your name such that it embarrass you, don’t wait any long to get your name changed legally. Some people also opt for legal name change due to their more ‘ethnic’ current name, while some change to their existing name to reclaim old surname linking back to their cultural heritage.
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Child Adoption
When a family adopts a child, they are most likely to give the child their own last name.
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Gender Change
Gay or lesbian couples often prefer name change to share a common last name. Some of them also change their first name to convey their gender rightly. Not all the states in the country consider same sex marriage a legitimate event, but same sex couples can request name change to share a common last name for all their important documents.
On top of these, there can be a plenty of other reasons why people consider legal name change including political support, religious reasons, etc. Some people consider name change to strengthen their professional identity.
How to change name legally
Well, changing name legally is certainly not same as changing your name in social media. You need to enquire the name change laws in your own state. During name change process, you may need to submit identity proof, residency proof or marriage proof depending on the reason you are changing name for. Once you have all relevant forms and documents ready, you need to file name change petition in the local court.
While you can change to any name, there are certain restrictions you have in the selection of new name. For example, you can’t legally take the name of popular celebrities such as Leo Dicaprio. You also can’t take copyrighted or trademarked names of companies or products. Your name couldn’t have numbers, signs and initials. You can’t take prohibited, racism or abusive words as your new name legally.
Regardless of your reason of legal name change, hiring a professional name change service can truly make your name change process easier and faster. Look for a name change agency online today!
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