Law Library Articles
Top 10 Name Change Articles in the LegalMatch Law Library
What do Marilyn Monroe, Elton John, and Tiger Woods have in common? If you said "an appetite for drama," you’re right—but that wasn’t what I meant. All three of these celebrities legally changed their names.
In William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Juliet said that "[t]hat which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." But it’s hard to think of Marilyn Monroe as the same elegant and classic beauty when you know that her given name was "Norma Jeane Mortensen."
Here are the top name change articles:
1. Name Changes
This article discusses the procedure for changing your name, the common reasons for a name change, and when you aren’t allowed to change your name. For example, you are not allowed to change your name to something intentionally confusing, like a number or punctuation symbol. There is not, however, a restriction on changing your name to something too silly; a man from Madison, Wisconsin legally changed his name to "Beezow Doo-Doo Zoopittybop-Bop-Bop."
2. Adult Name Change Lawyers
This article discusses the requirements of an adult name change. Generally, for an adult name change, you must have lived in the state where you are filing for about 6-12 months. You also must pay a fee to the clerk, and the amount of the fee varies by state.
3. Child Name Change Lawyers
This article discusses how to change a child’s name. The requirements for a child name change are very similar to the requirements for an adult name change.
4. Name Changes After Same Sex Marriage
This article discusses name changes after same-sex marriages and some of the issues that arise out of name change after a same-sex marriage.
5. Name Changes After Marriage
This article discusses the steps a woman should take if she wants to change her name after marriage. Many women, however, keep their maiden name. We luckily live in a century where either option is possible.
6. Legal Name Change After Divorce
This article discusses how to change your name after a divorce. It also discusses when you can change your child’s name after a divorce.
7. California Name Equality Act
This article discusses California’s Name Equality Act of 2007. Under this act, a husband is allowed to adopt the last name of his wife, and vice-versa. The act eliminates the need for a separate name change proceeding for unique or otherwise unconventional name changes at the time of a marriage.
8. Top Ten Child Custody Questions
This article answers the ten most common questions relating to child custody. One of the most common child custody questions is "Can I change my child’s last name from the father’s surname to my surname?"
9. Divorce Decree Lawyers
This article discusses divorce decrees, which are orders that grant the legal termination of marriage. Legal name changes are not always automatically updated in a divorce decree. Therefore, it may be necessary to contact the records department at the court where the decree was archived and inform them of the name change so that they can update their records.
10. Green Card Renewal Lawyers
This article discusses the process for renewing a green card. Women and men who have been married and changed their names since they received their current green card will need to submit a "Green Card Name Change" form when they renew their green cards.
