NAME CHANGE IN CALIFORNIA

An adult in California can change his or her name for a myriad of reasons including simply not liking your birth name for aesthetic reasons. Maybe the name is simply hard to spell. More and more frequently, due to the complexities of life, people are having difficulties matching birth certificate names with DMV records and passports or other legal documents. A Decree Changing Name resolves most issues.

Although it may seem antiquated, one of the requirements in California for a legal name change is that the notice of the petition must be published in a newspaper. This is calculated to give notice to the public so that objections be made if there are valid reasons to do so. In all of my years I have never yet received an objection but it is still a legal requirement that must be completed or the judge cannot grant the petition. The timing of the notice and the appropriateness of the newspaper coverage is very important to be done properly. Having an attorney take care of all the details for your legal name change simplifies and expedites the process and paves the way for a successful outcome.