Name Change information pls......???

Question

I would like to know if you know any information on getting a named changed. I am 20 yrs old and I hate my name. I want to know the cost and the process. Am I going to need a lawyer? I live in Florida. Also how long does it take? Help please.

Answer 1

So you can call yourself anything you want, why spend the money to have it done legally?  I think you can do it by yourself, go to the court house and ask the girls that work in the paper room, usually they are helpful.  It will take a few months to go through the process.  You will have to go to court and get the Judge's permission.

Answer 2

How much will it cost?

The cost of a legal name change will vary from county to county. As of December, 2002, the filing

fee in Hillsborough County was $205.00. You must file a name change petition in the county in

which you live. Call the Clerk of the Court for your county to find out the exact cost and what

forms of payment are accepted. A phone and address list for the Clerk of the Court in each

Florida county is included in Appendix A. There may be additional fees to change your identity

documents such as your birth certificate, driver’s license, etc.

How long will it take?

This will vary from county to county. Generally, it takes two to three months for the entire process,

depending on how busy the judge’s schedule is.

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WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

Filing your case and setting your hearing date

In some states, a person can change their name through what is known as “common usage” – by

simply using the new name for a specified period of time. However, Florida is NOT a state that

recognizes common usage name changes.

In order to legally change your name in Florida, you must file a case with the Circuit Court for the

county in which you live. Contact the Clerk of Court for your county (Clerk of Court phone and

address list included in Appendix A) to find out where you need to file your name change case. In

most counties, you will file your case at the Clerk of Court’s office, which is usually located in the

county courthouse or a branch of the county courthouse.

The petition

A case begins by filing a petition with the court. A petition is a written request to the court to take

some type of legal action (such as legally changing your name). The person who originally asks

the court to take legal action is called the petitioner; you are the petitioner in your name change

case.

To begin the process, print out the sample name change petition included in Appendix B. You

must complete the petition, filling in all of the blank spaces typing or writing in black ink.

At the top of the petition (in the heading), the form requires you to list the name of the petitioner.

You should list your current legal name, not the new name you wish the court to accept, because

at this stage your name change has not yet been granted. In the heading you must also list the

judicial circuit, division and case number. The Clerk of Court’s office can tell you which judicial

circuit and division your case will be filed in. Your case number will be assigned when you file your

case.

When you have completely filled out the petition (with everything except the case number), you

must sign the petition in the presence of a notary public. If you do not know anyone who is a

notary public, most banks have someone who can notarize documents for a small fee. After the

petition has been notarized, you are almost ready to file the petition with the Clerk of the Court in

the county where you live.

Civil cover sheet

When you file your petition, you must include what’s called a Civil Cover Sheet. A sample Civil

Cover Sheet is included in Appendix C. In the heading of the Civil Cover Sheet, type or write the

name of the court (Circuit Court in and for ____ County in the ___ Judicial Circuit), the division and

the Case No. (the Clerk of Court can assist you with this), and the petitioner’s name (your current

legal name). At the bottom of the form you must list the date you file your petition and sign the

form where indicated, listing your address and phone number also.

Assistance from nonlawyer

If anyone other than a lawyer licensed to practice law in Florida helps you fill out any of your name

change forms, the ‘nonlawyer’ must also fill out a ‘Disclosure from Nonlawyer’ form, which is

included in Appendix D. Nonlawyers include not only friends and relatives, but also paralegals,

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legal assistants and attorneys who are not currently licensed to practice law in the State of

Florida. Both you and the nonlawyer must sign the disclosure form. The nonlawyer must also put

his or her name, address, and telephone number on the bottom of the last page of every form he

or she helps you complete. You must file the Disclosure from Nonlawyer form along with your

petition for name change.

Filing fee

When you file your petition, Civil Cover sheet (and if applicable, Disclosure from Non-lawyer form)

with the Clerk of Court, you will be required to pay a filing fee. The filing fee varies from county to

county; for example, as of June 2002, the filing fee in Hillsborough County was $205. Contact the

Clerk of Court to find out what the filing fee is in your county. Once you have completed this step,

a case number will be assigned and an official court file will be opened. You have now filed your

name change case.

Set hearing date

After you file your case, you must set a hearing date for the court to consider your petition. The

procedures for setting a hearing date vary from county to county, so you should ask the