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Instructions
for filing a petition for change of name
(Please be aware that among other procedures, Name
Change requires Court Appearance)
Where
to File
The petition for change of name must be filed in the superior
court in the county where the person whose name is to
be changed presently lives.
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2. Whose Name May Be Changed
The petition may be sued to change one’s own name and, under certain circumstances, the names of other: children under 18 year of age.
3. Procedure Outline:
- Prepare filing forms
- Take filing forms to the Court in your area
- Pay filing fees
- Request a Court Hearing Date
The hearing date (Order to Show Cause) must be scheduled at least six weeks in advance.
The entire Name Change process will take at least 2 months.
- Publishing the Order to Show Cause
A copy of the Order to Show Cause must be published in a local newspaper of general circulation once a week for at least four consecutive weeks before the date of the hearing on the name change petition. You must select the newspaper from among those newspapers legally qualified to publish orders and notices. The newspaper used must file a Proof of Publication with the superior court before the hearing. If no newspaper of general circulation is published in the county, the court may order the Order to Show Cause to be posted by the clerk.
- Court Hearing
bring copies of all documents to the hearing. If the judge grants the name change, the judge will sign the original decree.
- Filing the Decree
After the decree is signed, you should obtain at least two certified copies of the decree from the clerk’s office. The clerk will charge a fee for the certification. Once certified copy of the decree must then be filed with the County Clerk Recorder’s Office where the person lives within 30 days after the date of the decree changing the person’s name. The county clerk will charge a fee for filing the certified copy.
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| Access Legal Services, 490 S. San Vicente Blvd. #7, Los Angeles, CA 90048, phone: (818) 448-3327 and (323) 655-5804 fax: (323) 938-0138 |
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