Name Change FAQs

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about NAME CHANGE. Click on any of the links below.

• How does a Court Order Name Change work?

  ANSWER

  1. Prepare your Name Change Petition for Court filing. Our EZ NAME CHANGE Questionnaire helps you do that in 7-15 minutes online. All the completed forms your court requires with all the copies needed to finish the whole process are in your hands for court filing within a few days.

  2. File your Petition in the correct Court and get your hearing date. We provide you with the correct court information and that court’s procedures for where you live.  Our instructions will walk you through it, step-by-step.

  3. Give Notice: You’ll give notice to the general public and required private individuals, if any. We’ll give you all the paperwork you need, easy -to-follow instructions, information and guidance it all.

  4. Get your NAME CHANGE Court Order. At (or sometimes before) the hearing, you’ll receive your signed Decree Changing Name or other Court Order. We’ll give you guidelines, instructions and filled out forms for completing this step in your local court. On this day, remember to smile! You did it!

  5. Get your New Name established. It’s official! Use it and let others know. Give notice to all your important relationships and connections. We’ll give you a handy checklist with contact information for the most important ones.

• What are the costs?

  ANSWER

  1) $115.00** is our charge to prepare your completed Petition (with all copies for filing) and provide you with step-by-step Court Process instuctions, public notice advertising contact and rates information, and a Post-Name Change checklist and contact information. If your Petition includes more than one Child, we charge an extra $10.00 for each additional Child.

  ** To learn more about any additional costs click here.

  2) $435.00 to file in Superior Court (California). San Francisco and Riverside currently charge $15.00 more and Courts always can change their own costs. Some courts charge a $30 reporter fee in addition.

  3) $30 to $500 (usually $80 to $125) to give public notice, depending on your county and which publication you choose. We’ll provide you with completed paperwork, instructions and a list of publications to compare costs.

  Some Petitioners will also have to provide legal notice to certain relatives of a minor Changing Names. We’ll provide guidance about those situations and costs as they occur. But, if the notice is by personal service, it may be $35 or more each. If the notice is by first class mail, then it’s the cost of postage.

  We recommend you get at least 1 Certified Copy of your Decree Changing Name (for official records changing purposes), which costs $25.50. Many people get 2 or more Certified Copies; 1 to keep in a safe place and 1 to use when changing the records.

• How long does it take?

  ANSWER

  It will take you about 7-20 minutes, or less, to complete our questionnaire.

  In California, it’s generally about 6-8 weeks between the time your Petition is filed and the day you receive your Decree Changing Name. The big amounts of time are for the Court to schedule a hearing date, perform its due diligence on your application, and for public notice advertising in advance of the hearing. Courts all over the state and all over the country have different rules and scheduling time frames, so you’ll need to find out the answer for your unique circumstances.

  If you have some urgent situation, it may be able to be accommodated and you may wish to consult an attorney about it.

• Can I get turned down?

  ANSWER

  Yes. However, almost all Name Change Petitions are approved. The main reasons why a Petition might be denied are:

  1) Your paperwork is inaccurate, incomplete, or reveals you to be ineligible

  2) Someone lodges an objection to your Name Change that your judge considers to be meritorious

  3) The judge believes your Name Change would achieve an improper result (i.e., defraud someone, hide from creditors, avoid a duty or obligation, likely to incite violence, trade on the name of a famous person, improperly hide a criminal past, etc.).

• Why should I use EZNameChange.com?

  ANSWER

  We’re California Name Change Specialists and we’re passionate about helping people legally get their Name Change exactly the way they want it.

  Our online Questionnaire (“Start My Name Change Now”) took 2 years to develop and lets you get your fully and properly completed Petition for Change of Name started in just 7-15 minutes.  In a few days you’ll get a ready-to-file professionally prepared Petition for Change of Name for an industry low $115 charge (comparison: LegalZoom $139+; lawyer $499+).  And, you’ll get all the copies you need for filing and serving, easy to follow step-by-step instructions for your local Superior Court, pricing and contact information for giving legal notice, and a Checklist for changing records once you have Your Legal Name Change.

  Your access to us is whenever you want, by phone or email.  Our Court Information is current and personalized to Your Name Change in Your County and Your Superior Court.

  We think Your Legal Name Change is a big deal! … and worth every letter of it!

  Start Your Name Change Petition Today!

• I have other questions.

  Check the FAQ page - click here or you can contact us.

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