1. The need for a Name Change may result from
marriage, divorce, adoption or simply a desire to have another name.
2. Generally, (a) you cannot change your name fora
fraudulent purpose, such as avoiding debts, (b) other people's rights cannot
be affected such as famous people, (c) use of a curse word as a name would
not be recommended, and (d) when a minor is involved, the court looks to
the best interest of the minor.
3. Means of changing your name generally include (a) Usage,
(b) Court Order and (c) Marriage.
a) Usage-
In some states using a name as your own has the affect of making it your name.
b) Court Order
- A Court order is recommended to change your name and is required by some
states.
c) Marriage-
A marriage certificate serves as proof of name change.
4. After you have changed your name you may need to change
records including: (a) Social Security Card, (b) Drivers License, (c) Passport,
(d) Post Office, (e) IRS, (f) Voter Registration, (g) Banks, (h) Credit
Cards, (i) Doctors (j) Insurance Companies, (k) State Tax Authority, (l)
Clubs, (m) Memberships, (n) Employer and (o) Retirement plans. You will
also need to consider changing your (a) Will, (b) Health Care Proxy, (c) Living
Will, (d) Trust, (e) Power of Attorney and (f) Contracts.