4 Quick Answers About Maiden Name Change

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Quick Answers AboutMaiden Name Change
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Maiden name change is a privilege available to
every adult in the US. It can be done at any age
and for any reason as long as you are not
escaping the law or intending to commit a
crime. Here are straightforward answers to
common questions asked about the process.
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How much will it cost?
You would need to pay a fee to the court or the
social services office once you request a change
of name. There are provisions for waivers if your
income is substantially low. However, you must
provide proof of low income. Beyond the court
fees paid, you need to set aside money for
publishing the petition. This expense might not
apply to you if the change is on confidentiality
grounds. However, for all other classes, the
petition will have to be published for public
scrutiny.
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How do I publish the petition in a newspaper?
According to the law, you must publish the Order
to Show Cause in a public newspaper. The
publication should also capture the hearing date
for your maiden name change and any other names
you use so that anyone with an issue with the
change of name can stop or petition the court.
Though people do not get objections, the law has
to be followed, and your petition will not be
granted until you publish the details in the
media.
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There are instances where you will not be
required to publish the petition. If you are
changing after gender realignment, you do not
have to publish the petition. If the change is to
protect your identity because you are under the
State Witness Program, or in instances of sexual
assault, you need to indicate that in the forms
you file so that the publication bit can be
skipped.
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Can my petition be declined?
Prepare for the acceptance or denial of your
application. The reality is that not all
petitions are granted. The judge or officer in
his wisdom may decline because the justification
you provided is flimsy. At the basic level, you
must provide all the details required in the
forms and petitions you file in the court. The
details you provide must be consistent and
accurate.
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• The other main reasons why your petition may be
  declined include
• If it is revealed that your intention is to
  commit fraud
• If your intention is to be unnoticeable by the
  police or other institutions because of illicit
  activities
• People on parole or probation may not get the nod
  for name change unless the officer in charge
  gives consent. This also applies to those
  incarcerated. The consent must be given in
  writing.

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• The petition may also be returned because of
  reasons relating to the new name you choose. The
  judge may raise an issue with your new name
  because
• Picking a name that resembles that of a celebrity
  or famous person will raise an issue. You are
  likely to be accused of attempts to impersonate
  the known personality.
• Names that are abusive or derogatory to a group
  of people like race, religion, social group, etc.
  will not be accepted.

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• Symbols and punctuations marks will also not be
  accepted as legitimate names during change. This
  will surely lead the judge to decline your
  request. However, you can use the full name of a
  period, coma, exclamation mark, etc as your new
  name.

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What of shared parents situation?
You might want to change the name of your child
for whatever reason. Other than the child filing
the petition, it will be upon you to file it. It
gets complicated if you are sharing parental
duties. The law requires you to inform the other
parent and get his or her consent. Even when the
other parent is not sharing support duties but is
recognized by official government records as the
parent, information must get to him or her
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If there is a judgment against one of the
parents, the judge should be notified. It will be
at the discretion of the judge to make the best
ruling. If the other parent is unknown, special
permission should be sought. However, you will
have to show the effort you made to trace the
missing parent. It is upon you to convince the
judge that you did everything within your power
to search for the other parent. You might be
asked to search further or use other tactics.
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