Petitioning and publishing are the two basic steps you'll need to take in order to have a court issue a decree that orders your official name change. Petitioning means filling out the appropriate form or forms and filing them (paying the required fee) in the court that claims jurisdiction (normally, the one nearest or that services the area of your residence). In nearly every state the petitioner or person legally overseeing the name change process is required to publish notice in a local newspaper of the intended name change. You may also be required to give notice to specific individuals or organizations that have an interest in your name change. If someone objects to your new name, you may have to appear in court to show cause as to why you are entitled to your new name.
 

No. Your benefits -alimony, child support, Social Security payments, disability benefits- are yours. You are entitled to them regardless of what you choose to call yourself legally. Only a name change due to marriage may affect your Social Security benefits. However, in this instance it's getting married that is the determining factor and not the name change. If you are an adult who has been disabled since childhood, these types of benefits generally stop once you get married. There are some circumstances in which your benefits may be protected if you marry. Please see our section J above, Converting to Your Married Name. Since the rules are different for different situations, you should consult a Social Security representative for the impact that marriage may have on any benefits you are currently receiving. Whatever situation is applicable, you will need to inform all appropriate authorities of your new name, in writing and usually with a certified copy of your name change decree.
 

Residency, jurisdiction and legal grounds are the determining factors when filing to change your name. The residency requirement entails your living in the area in which you intend to file your name change petition for at least six months prior to filing your petition. Jurisdiction means that your petition must be filed within the court district nearest your residence. Having legal grounds means you have good reason to be petitioning for your name change-i.e., that you have undergone gender change, that you have had a religious conversion, that you wish to maintain your identity in business, that your name needs to be shortened, etc. Please see Section D above, Reasons for Changing Your Name.
 

While adults are legally allowed to proceed with a name change on their own, a minor must rely on adult individuals to drive the process. Usually, a minor's natural parents are responsible for filling out the name change petition and overseeing the name change process when a minor is involved. If only one parent is involved, the consent of the other parent may also be required. There are many instances in which a natural parent may be imprisoned, lives in another state or country or cannot be located at all. In these types of situation, legal custody and parental notice are very important. It's incumbent on the court to make name change determinations based on the best interests of the applying minor.
 

Although the exact forms and their titles for the name change process vary from state to state, and even from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, you will always start by filing a Petition for Change of Name. In Los Angeles County, for example, you are also required to file a form entitled Order to Show Cause for Change of Name. This form gives interested parties the opportunity to object to your name change. If anyone objects, then a hearing is set to discuss the objection. Finally, you'll need a Decree Changing Name, which is the actual order that authorizes your name change and which becomes the official record of your name change.
 

In most cases you will file your petition in the civil court system presiding over the county and the branch that correlates to the area in which you reside.