Name change refers to the legal act of allowing a person to change his name at a certain stage of his life. The procedure and the complexity depend on the jurisdiction. In California the procedure for how to change your name is not complicated, but to change your name you have to procure a court order.
The decisions pertaining to name change is carried out by the superior court. The applications should be submitted to the superior court by those who wish for a name change in the state where the particular person reside. If the individual is below the age of 18 the petition has to be signed by a parent and if the parents are no more the petition has to be signed by a guardian or a near relative or a friend in cases where there is no guardian. Specific place of birth has to be noted in the petition. The place of residence of the relatives need not be mentioned in the petition.
After filing the petition the court will ask all the people involved in the petition to appear before the court at a specific time on a particular date. This process will take at least 8 weeks from the time of filing the petition.
Newspaper Publication
A copy of the order has to be published in a prominent newspaper which has a commendable circulation. The order has to be posted by the clerk in three different important places where the court is functioning. Evidences of publication should be convincing to the court at the time of taking up the case for name change. The publication should continue for four incessant weeks.
The hearing on the petition will start at the time chosen by the court, if there is no valid objection in the name change case. If there is no objection filed against the petition then the permission is granted without hearing. In case of an objection and if the court feels that the objection is raised on valid grounds the court will dismiss the petition without a second thought. A certified copy of the court order changing the persons name has to be filed in the office of the country within 30 days from the date of the decree.
Limits to change your name
Changing the name through the court method is possible, but there are a few limitations. The name of a celebrity cannot be used for some financial gains or for some fraudulent motives and you cannot use fictitious names as they are protected by copyright. A name cannot be changed if it instigates violence or racial clash. The first name can be restored after a divorce
Court Procedure
You will have to fill a few simple forms for the name change case, then publish the request in a local newspaper for four weeks successively and the court signs the order in the due course. Only a few judges are particular about your physical presence in the court during the hearing session, others will sign the order if the papers submitted are without any fault. You can use the court order and ask the institutions to change your name in their official records. In case of a name change request for a minor, the parents’ permission is necessary and you have to convince the court that the name change is in the interest of the minor.