The Legal Process

• Although there are variations among states in the legal process for changing a name, certain broad parameters remain constant when you seek to legally change your name. The first step is to find out which court oversees the name change process in your area. Once you have done this, obtain a copy from the court or download the latest name change form for your state. Fill out this form and keep a copy for your records before submission to the appropriate court. You will need to submit certain documents with the form, such as your valid Social Security number, copy of your valid birth certificate, driver's license, and other personal identifiable information requested.
  
  Your forms will be reviewed by a judge. He or she will either approved your request immediately, or he or she will ask you to appear for a court hearing. A court hearing will be requested if the judge thinks that the name you have chosen contradicts one of the prohibitive clauses in the name changing law according to your state's prohibitory guidelines.
  
  After the form has been approved, you need to take out an ad in a newspaper specified by the court.
  Once the ad has appeared, the court will send you an affidavit along with an "order granting change of name" from the court. This is when you congratulate yourself--you have a new name.
  
  

The Kind of Name You Can't Choose

• When changing your name, there are strict rules in place against the type of name you can choose. You are not allowed to choose a name for fraudulent purposes, such as escaping a debt or a crime. You are also not allowed a name that has a number or punctuation mark, that is a racial slur, or that is obscene and/or abusive. In addition, you may also have trouble with choosing the exact same name as an American celebrity, as that might be interpreted as "intent to mislead." In such a case, you may need to present a very good reason why you are choosing this name.
  
  

Living With a New Name

• Legally, getting a new name is not very difficult, but implementing that change takes longer. To begin with, you must inform all the business and governmental institutions you deal with that you have changed your name. Make sure all your official documents and records have been updated. Then you must inform all your acquaintances from your address books about the name change. The next and more difficult step is to get your close friends and family to implement the change. These people have always identified you with a certain sound, and psychologically, it won't be easy for them to bring about this new association. They may even forget to use your new name at times. It is important for you to be patient, not get irritated and tell all of them just how much your new name matters to you.