How to Change Your Name in New York

There are plenty of reasons why someone might wish to change their name at some point in their lives. The most common reason people do so is because of marriage and wishing to take their spouse’s name as their own. However, sometimes people become divorced and no longer wish to have that name any longer. In other cases, people simply don’t like the name they’re born with because it’s misspelled or doesn’t reflect who they are or how they identify.

Changing your name can seem like a daunting process, but it doesn’t have to be. On this blog, we’ll discuss how to change your name New York and why it’s beneficial to have an attorney assist you with this process as well.

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Name Changing Requirements

Changing your name is a pretty big event in your life and takes quite a bit of work in order to do properly. You can change your name for just about any reason in the state of New York, with one glaring exception: you cannot do so in order to avoid paying financial obligations or commit fraud of some sort.

Otherwise, the only real requirement for changing your name is that you are at least 18 years of age. Those who are under the age of 18 or who wish to procure a name change for a child under the age of 18 must obtain consent from all parents involved. Let’s look at an example: if a child was born to parents out of wedlock and the child wishes to change their surname to the parent which they spend more time with, both parents must be involved in the decision. If one parent objects, a judge will need to decide if the name change is in the best interests of the child.

The Name Change Process

Before you begin, you’ll need to get the proper papers and fill them out. These include a name change petition and a Proposed Order, plus the possibility of some additional forms if you need to change a child’s name. You’ll also need to bring your birth certificate or a registered copy of your birth certificate to validate your birth name (or your child’s if that’s whose name you’re petitioning to change).

Your petition will need to be filled out properly and then signed in front of a Notary Public in order to be valid. From there, bring your signed forms to your local court Once you have done this correctly, you’ll need to pay a court fee in order to process the petition. If you file the petition in New York City Civil Court, the cost is $65. If you file the petition in Supreme or County Court, the fee jumps to $210.

A court clerk at your chosen court will review your petition and submit it to a judge. If the judge approves your name change, you are required by law to publish your name change in a local newspaper. The judge will tell you which newspaper to use for this purpose, and you are responsible for paying the newspaper’s name change publishing charges.

Finally, you’ll want to make sure you get plenty of copies of your name change Order in order to change your name on things like your bank account, your Social Security card and your driver’s license.

Advantages of Hiring an Attorney for Name Change

Having an attorney on your side can minimize the chances of an error leading to your name change petition being denied or otherwise unsuccessful. Careful review of your name change petition to make sure that you’ve answered everything correctly as well as provided the necessary materials can make your name change process significantly easier and less stressful. A New York attorney can also advise you on filing fees, publication fees, court appearances, and other things you’ll have to do to make sure your name is changed properly and in all the right places.