Talking to a family attorney about your state`s specific rules for a name change can help you prepare for future contingencies. In addition to your friends and family, here are some of the businesses you should notify once you`ve legally changed your name: The court clerk may ask you for additional information to support your name change application. Keep in mind, however, that there may be certain restrictions that you can change your name, including, but not limited to, the following: You don`t need to call your doctor`s office or dentist to change your insurance. Instead, go to your next appointment a few minutes earlier (with your new insurance card and ID in hand) to make the changes in person. If you`re thinking of keeping your maiden name as your middle name, wedding planner Sandy Malone is all for it. “My real middle name, for example, will always be Elizabeth to me,” she says. “But for legal and formal reasons, I became `Sandra Nelson Malone` when I married my husband. This has proven invaluable over the years, as I`ve discovered places where I forgot to change my name – for example, random car rental points or airline frequent flyer miles. It`s also important to reconnect with old friends through social media.
After submitting the form, you will be summoned to a hearing. At the hearing, the judge or magistrate will ask you questions about why you are changing your name. Once the judge has signed, you will receive a certified copy of the order, which you will need to present to anyone who needs to verify your new name. Unfortunately, changing your name isn`t as simple as submitting a single form and waiting for your new Social Security card. There are many reasons why someone might want to change their name, often after a marriage or divorce. The process of legally changing your name usually involves requesting your name change and using your new name. “A name change can impact your taxes. All names on your tax return must match Social Security Administration records. A name incompatibility may delay your refund,” according to the Internal Revenue Service. Since the United States is a federalist republic, we have two levels of government: federal and state. For example, American Express has a form on its website (in the Account Services tab) where you can edit your personal information.
You will need to upload a supporting document (they will ask for your driver`s license, ID card or passport) showing your new name, and after processing, a new card will be sent to you. Other companies require a certified copy of your marriage certificate to be sent to them in order to process the change. Contact your credit card company directly to find out the best way to issue a card with your new name. The last thing you want after jumping through countless hoops to change your name is to realize you`ve misspelled your new nickname. In some states, you can change a child`s name on their birth certificate for up to one year after birth. An adopted child can usually obtain a new name during the adoption process without having to apply separately for a name change. Even if you don`t get married, you usually have to announce your new name to the world in the form of a newspaper ad. Be sure to change your name on all your personal and legal documents such as wills, deeds, titles, trusts, accounts and powers of attorney. Changing your name on estate planning documents will make it much easier for your heirs in the future. While your heirs may not be disinherited due to a name discrepancy, they may need to go through other steps to show your previous name and true identity before receiving their share.
Updating your driver`s licence with a new name must be done in person. Most states consider this change part of the license renewal process, so you`ll need to take a new photo and pay the renewal fee. Visit your state`s DMV website to print the renewal application form. Filling this out in advance will save you time once you get there. Some DMVs also accept appointments, which speeds things up. “The most important thing to keep in mind about any name change is that it`s a process, not a one-stop shop,” Anna Phipps, vice president of experience at HitchSwitch, told Mental Floss. With your new name and payment information in hand, it`s time to update the payment information for your mortgage or rent and utilities. Most can be easily updated online in your account portal or over the phone, and it should be as simple as entering your new last name and entering your new credit card number or banking instructions. When you get married, all you have to do is show your marriage certificate (with your new name) to all relevant intuitions as proof of your new last name, according to The Knot. The Registrar will review your application for a change of name and grant your application if the Registrar decides that you have a valid reason for changing your name. Some states require you to appear before a judge for a brief hearing to get your name change approved.
It may take several weeks or months to receive your certificate via the name change, again depending on the state. Changing your name in your passport is considered a correction. If your passport was issued less than a year ago, you can have the correction corrected free of charge. However, if you`ve had your current passport for a year or more, the fee for a change and a new passport booklet is $110 (plus a quick fee if you`re in a hurry to go on your honeymoon). Changing your name to match your spouse`s last name is one of the most common reasons people want to change their name. This can help some couples feel like a shared family unit and can simplify future cases that require identification, such as filing taxes together. You get the idea, don`t you? In many cases, the legal process of changing your name might actually be the easy part. Regardless of the reason for the child`s name change, the court usually requires that the standard that the name change is in the best interests of the child. The good news is that assembling your documents is the hardest part of a legal name change, or at least the most tedious.
Once you have your documents in order, go to court and submit them to the court registry. When you adopt a child, a new birth certificate will be issued when the adoption is completed and this constitutes proof of the child`s name. To change your name for any other reason, you will need to use your state`s name change process in court. In most states, it`s a fairly simple process to change your name through the court system. In fact, most state government websites have online forms that you can print and use. Questions on the forms are very simple and can include your old name, new name, social security number, the reason for your name change, and a promise that you won`t change your name to avoid debt or criminal liability. Here we will break down the general process to get a name change. Divorce by nature is rarely easy. But when a fairly polite and civil uncontested divorce is contested, things can get exponentially worse. Here are some options to consider if things get more difficult. Once you have posted a notice of name change (if necessary), you may need to hold a hearing with a judge.