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Gale Ranch Notary, Apostille and Financial Services

How to Change Your Legal Name in California (and acorss the US)?

This awareness information is shared for the community by Gale Ranch Notary, Apostille and Financial Services.

A legal name change in California (and across the US) involves four major steps:

  • Filing a marriage license or court order
  • Sharing your new title with the Social Security Administration
  • Updating your passport
  • Getting a new state ID
  • Update your employer, Bank and insurance (Notarized documents maybe required)

How to file thorugh Court Order?

  • It is through filing a Petition to Change Your Name. The court process of getting a court order after filing a Petition for Change of Name can take up to 3 months. First, you file your petition.
  • Then, you will get a court date between 6 and 12 weeks away. If you follow all the required steps and the court approves your request, you will get a court order called a “decree” changing your name. Some courts are busier than others and it may take longer.

To ask the court to change your name, follow these steps:

  • Fill out your court forms – Form NC-100 and NC-110 along with Court filing fee (approx $435 in CA)
  • Have your forms reviewed by the court family law facilitator or Self-Help Center
  • Make at least 2 copies of all your forms
  • File your forms with the court clerk
  • Publish the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (If Required)
  • If incarcerated or on parole, serve the documents
  • Go to your court hearing, if necessary
  • Get your Decree Changing Name from the court

Court filing process can be done thorugh Attorney and client need not appear for hearing too, if done by attorney.

All the above steps by attorney is around $500 (Shared by a Notary client in East bay, who did recently). Or you can do it yourself also.

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