How To Change Your Name In Massachusetts

Updated December 08, 2021

A Massachusetts name change form (Form CJP 27) is used past an adult to utilise for a legal name change within the land. For modest name changes, the parent(s) or guardian(southward) with legal custody of the kid will file a different petition, known as "Class CJP 25." After the applicable petition is complete, the filer must accept their name change document, along with the necessary supporting paperwork and filing fees, to the Probate and Family unit court for submission. Proper name changes following marriage or divorce are very common and can be accomplished equally a office of the marriage or divorce process. All other name change requests must be processed past the Probate and Family unit Court.

Laws – Massachusetts General Police, Chapter 46 § 1(d), and Chapter 210 § 12 – thirteen

Tabular array of Contents

Proper noun Change After Spousal relationship
Name Modify After Divorce
Adult Name Change (No Marriage or Divorce)
Driver's License
Voter Registration
Minor (Child) Proper noun Modify

Name Change After Marriage

Adopting a spouse'southward surname when getting married is an American tradition and is therefore hands accomplished. When applying for a matrimony license, the couple will indicate the name change on their Wedlock License Application, which will exist filed with the Court Clerk. After the marriage anniversary has been performed and the marriage license is signed by the Officiant, the name alter will be official. At this juncture, the individual can use their marriage license as proof of a name change when they update their various records, accounts, and registrations.

Name Change After Divorce

An individual getting a divorce can revert to their surname or former married proper name by indicating a name modify on their divorce decree. There is no actress charge for the name alter as long equally the subject includes the proper noun change in the original divorce Petition/Complaint. Those who practise not include the proper noun modify in the original documentation volition be charged an additional filing fee ($100 at the time of this writing). In Massachusetts, an individual may only assume a previous surname as a part of divorce proceedings and must file a separate petition if they wish to change their proper noun to anything else.

Developed Proper name Alter (No Marriage or Divorce)

Any resident of Massachusetts who is eighteen (18) years of historic period or over can legally change their proper noun as long as they are not doing and then for fraudulent purposes. In order to legally perform a name change, they must file a petition with their county probate court. In this land, any person who requests a proper name change through the court must publish notice of the modify in lodge to give the public the opportunity to object. The court will grant most requests without requiring a courtroom hearing. All the same, if there is whatever objection to the name modify or if the gauge deems it necessary, the petitioner may need to attend the court hearing regarding their change of name.

Step i – Make full out Change of Proper name Petition

In social club to file a petition with the Probate and Family unit Court, an individual must first fill out the Petition to Change Name of Adult (CJP 27). This grade requires the petitioner to provide their current name, address, the proposed new name, and a description of why they want to modify their name. Once complete, the petitioner will need to sign the form in the presence of a notary public.

Note: Certain documents may not display correctly when viewed in a web browser. These forms should be downloaded and opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Step 2 – Fill out Release Request Course

The individual must keep by filling out the Court Activity Record Information and Warrant Management Arrangement Release Request Grade (CJP 34). With this document, the petitioner must indicate the nature of the court proceeding (alter of name) and provide the following personal information: current proper noun, appointment of birth, the last 4 digits of their social security number, and their mother's maiden name. If the petitioner has used any aliases in the past, all names must exist mentioned in the applicative area of this document.

Step 3 – Assemble Documents

Before filing their petition, the individual will demand to assemble the following documents as necessary:

Petition to Change Name of Developed
Court Activity Record Data and Warrant Direction Organisation Release Request Form
Certified copy of nascency certificate (obtainable from their town or city clerk or the Registry of Vital Statistics)
Certified copy of divorce prescript or marriage certificate (if applicable)
Record of previous name alter (if applicative)

Step 4 – File Proper noun Alter Petition at the Probate and Family Court

Once the petitioner has all of their documents in guild, they may proceed to their local Probate and Family Court to file their petition and supporting documents. The court will asking a criminal background bank check on the petitioner from the Commissioner of Probation.

Pace 5 – Pay the Filing Fee

In order to file their Petition to Change Name of Developed, the petitioner must pay a fee of $150, as well as an additional $fifteen surcharge and, if required, a $15 fee for a Commendation of Publication. Non all counties in Massachusetts take checks or credit cards as methods of payment, and then it would be pertinent to cheque with the county court earlier attempting to file a petition. If the petitioner is unable to pay the filing fee, they may apply for the court to waive or supplement the fee by filling out and submitting the Affidavit of Indigency (more information on indigency can be accessed here).

Step half dozen – Publish Notice of Proper name Modify

Unless the petitioner deliberately requested that their name change not be made public, their name change must exist published in a local newspaper. This is required in social club to give members of the public an opportunity to object to the proper name change. The court will send the petitioner a Commendation for Publication that must be published in a local paper, which is often indicated in the citation. The citation volition need to be sent via certified mail service with a return receipt requested, and the publication needs to be bundled through the advisable newspaper's legal notice department.

Step seven – Pay Publication Fee

The paper will send the petitioner an invoice for the cost of publication. These fees can toll up to $150, which the petitioner must exist prepared to pay on fourth dimension.

Step 8 – Receive Published Notice

Upon publication, the newspaper will send the petitioner a clipping of the published notice to apply equally proof of publication. Next, the petitioner will demand to submit to the court the original Commendation for Publication, a clipping of the published find, the certified mail return receipt, and the petitioner's signature indicating that they mailed and published the find.

Step 9 – Nourish Hearing

While in virtually cases a hearing will not be required, the judge volition likely demand 1 if there are any objections to the proper noun alter or if the judge assigned to the case has reasonable business organization surrounding the petitioner'due south chosen name.

Pace 10 – Guess Renders Decision

If there is no objection to the petitioner'south name alter and the guess sees no legal reason to deny information technology, the judge volition grant a prescript of alter of name. This courtroom order volition serve as a proof of proper noun change past the individual to prove that they accept legally changed their proper noun. A certificate of this document may be requested for a fee of $xx.

Driver'due south License

Before a resident tin can update the proper name recorded on their driver's license, they must offset update their Social Security account. Once this has been achieved, the private can update the proper noun on their license past visiting a local driver'south license office and presenting the following documentation:

Social security carte du jour (with new name)
Courtroom order for name alter/marriage license/divorce decree
Driver'due south License Application (filled out, indicating name change)

The price of updating a person'due south proper noun on their license is $25. Once the person has paid the fee, their flick and signature will be taken for their new license. The new driver'south license volition either be issued onsite or received by mail.

Voter Registration

If a Massachusetts resident legally changes their name, they volition demand to update their voter registration data in order to vote in elections. Voter information tin exist updated online (through the voter registration webpage), in person, or by mail. In order to alter their registered voter name by mail or in person, a resident must fill up out and submit the Voter Registration Form. When filing the registration form, the voter must indicate their proper noun change on the document and submit it by paw or mail to their city or boondocks election office, forth with a copy of a photograph ID or any other recognized document that shows the individual's current proper name and address.

Small (Child) Name Change

Parents in Massachusetts are permitted to alter the name of their kid as long as the pocket-size is in their legal custody. Anyone nether the age of eighteen (eighteen) is considered a modest. In order to legally change their child's name, the parent or legal guardian must file a petition with their county court. If the minor in question is currently going through Juvenile Courtroom proceedings, the petition must be fabricated with that Juvenile Court. When irresolute the name of a minor, the court volition generally exist more strict than when handling an adult name change petition. For instance, they volition consider the ways that the name change could impact the kid and whether both parents hold to the proper noun alter. Although the consent of any other parent/legal guardian is not required by law, this gene may still be taken into consideration.

Step 1 – Fill out Change of Proper name Petition

To begin, the parents or legal guardians of the child must completely fill up out the Petition to Alter Name of Minor, indicating that they are making this asking on behalf of their kid. In guild to complete the course, the child'southward parents or guardians must provide their personal data every bit well every bit that of the child in question. They must besides describe the reason for requesting that the child'south name be inverse. One time all areas of the class accept been filled, the parents or guardians must inscribe their signatures in the presence of a notary public. If the child is twelve (12) or older, they must also sign before a notary public to point their consent to the name change.

Annotation: Some documents may not display properly in all spider web browsers. In these cases, the forms should instead exist opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Step two – Fill out Affirmation Disclosing Care or Custody Proceedings

In the Affidavit Disclosing Intendance or Custody Proceedings, the filer must describe their relationship to the minor and any ongoing or recently ended custody court proceedings. They must besides provide the proper name and address of any other person who has claimed a legal right to the minor. The chief purpose of this form is to indicate to the court whether the child is involved with other custody proceedings at any other court.

Footstep three – Complete the Release Request Class (If Applicable)

If the child is twelve (12) years of age or older, the filer must fill out the Court Activity Tape Information and Warrant Direction System Release Asking Class (CJP 34). This document will be given to the court to describe the nature of the legal affair likewise every bit provide basic personal information on the filer.

Step 4 – Make full out Juvenile Court Petition for Name Alter (If Applicable)

If the kid is currently being processed in Juvenile Court, the parent(s) must file a Juvenile Court Petition for Name Changewith that court (instead of the Probate and Family Court). This grade requires a notary acknowledgment which the father and/or mother tin obtain past taking the document to a notary public and identifying themselves. Once the notary has identified the parent(s), they will provide their notary acknowledgment by putting their signature and seal on the 2nd page of the petition. At this juncture, the Juvenile Court Petition for Name Modify can be filed with the Juvenile Court.

Step v – Notify the Other Parent

If both parents do not alive together, the parent filing the petition must send the other parent a copy of the petition by certified mail with a request for a render receipt upon delivery. Once the document has been delivered, the post office volition send a dark-green card to the filer which must exist delivered to the court. In the consequence that the other parent'due south address is unknown, the petition should be sent to their last known accost. If notice cannot be delivered, the returned envelope should be filed, unopened, with the court.

Pace six – Get together Documents

Side by side, the filer will need to compile the following documents, as applicable, to exist filed with their county probate court:

Petition to Modify Name of Minor
Affidavit Disclosing Intendance or Custody
Court Action Record Data and Warrant Management System Release Asking Form (if applicable)
Certified copy of minor's birth certificate (obtained from the town or city clerk or the Registry of Vital Statistics)
Certified copy of adjudication of paternity/voluntary parental acknowledgment (for children built-in outside of wedlock)
Proof of notification for the other parent (evidence of receipt/unopened certified post)
Certified copies of any other prior name change documents (if applicable)
Death certificate of deceased parent or guardian (if applicable)

Step 7 – File Name Modify Petition at the Probate and Family Court

Once the required documents have been nerveless and completed, they must be filed with the Annals of Probate of the Probate and Family unit Court in which the petitioner resides.

Step viii – Pay the Filing Fee

The person filing the petition will be required to pay a filing fee to the Probate and Family Courtroom. At the time of this writing, filing fees are set at $150 with an additional $xv surcharge and, if publication is requested, a $15 fee for the Commendation of Publication. If the petitioner cannot pay these fees, they may file an Affidavit of Indigency with the courtroom in an attempt to have them waived (this webpage provides more information on the subject area).

Pace 9 – Publish Discover of Proper name Change

If 1 (1) of the parents has not been given notice of the proper noun modify and/or has not given their consent, a notice of the minor's name change must exist published in a local newspaper (unless the judge deems it unnecessary). The Citation of Publication, which will be given to the filer, will straight them as to where, when, and how they must publish the discover of name modify.

Pace x – Pay Publication Fee

Subsequently submitting a observe of name change for publication, the filer will receive a publication invoice from the paper which must be paid earlier the petition tin can go along to a court hearing.

Pace xi – Receive Published Notice

Upon publication, the filer volition obtain the published notice of name change to exist submitted to the courtroom as proof of publication. This certificate, along with the original Citation of Publication and the return receipt postcard, must be filed with the court.

Step 12 – Nourish Hearing

If the filer'southward attendance is required at the court hearing for their petition, they will be given notice of the court appointment by the Probate and Family Court. The judge volition review the petition and take into account whether or not all parents and/or legal guardians have given their consent. Ultimately, the judge will make the conclusion based on the pocket-sized'due south best interest.

Step 13 – Guess Renders Decision

If the judge approves the petition, they will outcome a certificate of the new name to the parent to use as a demonstration of proof that the child's proper noun has been legally inverse.

Source: https://eforms.com/name-change/ma/

Posted by: nestorswilifewouse.blogspot.com