Name Change

[Guest Tommy]

can i get my name leagaly changed to tommy before im 18 if my mom signs something?

[Guest jj mod]

can i get my name leagaly changed to tommy before im 18 if my mom signs something?

Hello Tommy

My thoughts: as she is your legal guardian you and her both go to court system and fill out application for name change. then you need to put a notice in a local paper and then go to a hearing before the judge. the hearing before the judge will last about 5 mins. but this is what i gather happens in my state your state may be different.

[Guest Evan_J]

Yes.

If your mother (or father) goes with you and signs the application as your parent/guardian you can have your name legally changed.

[Guest Drew]

as long as you have parental permission, yes.

[Guest YaManShane]

good luck with it tommy

[Guest Anhelanti]

Name change laws vary from state to state, but this is how it went for me in Illinois.

I went to the website for my local Circuit Clerk, where there where .pdfs of all the necessary forms. If both your parents are in agreement with your decision to change your name (mine were) then they just need to fill out two sets of forms - The Petition of Name change, and the Order of name change (these may be called something a little different in your state) - sign them and get they're signatures notarized, and take the forms to the Circuit Clerk at your local courthouse. Then you have to pay to file the petition, the cost of which varies greatly. I paid $236. At that time you will be asked to chose a court date, which can be any day, but will be first thing in the morning. As a minor, if both parents are in compliance, you don't even need to post your petition in the newspaper. Then the three of you show up on the day, and bring the petition to the judge. I believe that both parents do have to be present at court, along with the minor. My dad had to leave town during the first date we scheduled, and we ended up having to set a new date. Once at court, our judge didn't even ask us why I was changing my name, she just proclaimed the change and signed the Order of Name Change. It took about 2 minutes.

Now, if you're just doing this with your mom, then there's a few things that will be different. As far as I know, if your parents are divorced, and they both have custody of you, then you'll need to notify your father of the desired change, and post it in the newspaper. In my area, there's two different forms for that, depending on whether the whereabouts of the father (or in some cases, mother, I'd assume) is known or not. I think it's simpler if the parent you're living with has sole custody, but they may still have to inform the other parent. I'm not entirely sure what happens if one parent is not in agreement on the name change.

So, basically, the answer is most likely yes (depending on your state). It's just a matter of parental consent, money, and time.

Good luck,

Nate

[Guest angie]

can i get my name leagaly changed to tommy before im 18 if my mom signs something?

I really don't see why not Tommy.

As long as you have everything in order,not asking for gender marker change,I don't think

it should be any big deal.Changing name is relatively easy,you won't even need a lawyer.

Plus it is wonderful to take on the name to reflect who you truly are.

Good Luck,

Angie

[Guest leo]

everyone talks about this standing in front of the judge

do you do this in the U.K?

[Guest Martin]

I did a google search and found this http://www.ukdps.co.uk/AdviceForTranssexuals.html page. According to it, no, you don't have to go in front of a judge. If you google some more, maybe you'll find a way to do it without going through that company, but I'm not sure. I've never been in the UK.

By the way, not everyone in the U.S. has to go in front of a judge either. I've changed my name twice in Colorado, and I never had to talk to a judge. I did have to go through the court system, though.

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

I did a google search and found this http://www.ukdps.co.uk/AdviceForTranssexuals.html page. According to it, no, you don't have to go in front of a judge. If you google some more, maybe you'll find a way to do it without going through that company, but I'm not sure. I've never been in the UK.

By the way, not everyone in the U.S. has to go in front of a judge either. I've changed my name twice in Colorado, and I never had to talk to a judge. I did have to go through the court system, though.

Here in New Mexico, it does take both a court appearance and posting in the newspaper. However those are formalities, the process costs somewhere around 200$ and takes two weeks. The time is only bc the posting for one day in each of two consecutive weeks (wonder if I could do sunday and monday ).