There are rules about changing your name, but in some cases, you can just one day decide you no longer like the name of Pixie Fairydust, given to you by your 60s inspired mom, and begin calling yourself Peter. The name Peter can become your legal name just based on common usage – meaning that’s the name you use all the time. Of course, there are legal ways to affect name changes as well. There are some things you should be aware of:
You cannot legally change your name to a number or a symbol – no offense to the artist formerly and currently known as Prince. You can add Roman numerals after your name, either because another member of your family has been given the same name, or because you wish to be known by something more royal sounding. You cannot change your name for fraudulent intent – meaning you are running up tens of thousands of dollars in debt or for the purpose of interfering with a trade mark. You also cannot change your name to the same name already being used by a celebrity in order to profit from the name. You cannot name yourself anything obscene or offensive. You also cannot legally change the name of a minor without a court order.
The advantage to going with a common usage name change is that you avoid the legal hassle. Unfortunately, even though the name is technically legally recognizable, you may find obstacles in dealing with financial institutions or insurance companies, who will hesitate to change your name without some legal proof that it is still the same person.
Going through the court system gives you legal documentation that will hold up in every circumstance. To make the process simple & painless, there are many "name change kits" available on the market today, from software to fill in the blanks to pre packaged forms, checklists, and more. We highly recommend checking out Legalzoom's name change offerings on the subject. |
