When Making A Name Change, Our Attorneys Can Help

A person's last name can be changed at any time, and not only after divorce proceedings. A parent can ask the court to change the name of a minor child too. Once the name change is ordered by the court for a minor child, the order must be presented to the State Office of Vital Records, which then re-issues a birth certificate with the new name in place of the old name. There are more complicated rules for changing the name of a minor than there are for changing the name of an adult. The consent of both parents is required. Difficulties arise, and can be overcome, when the location of one of the parents is not known. Objections to the name change of a child can also be overcome so long as it is shown that the name change will promote the child's best interest.

The only showing that must be made if a name change is unopposed is that it is not being sought to obstruct law enforcement activity, or to defraud anybody by concealing your true identity. Notice of the name change must be published for four successive weeks in a local newspaper before the matter will be decided by the court. Once the publication requirement is met, and assuming that there are no objections filed in opposition to the name change, the matter will be heard by the court. The law requires that the petitioner actually appear in court at the time of the hearing. Attorney Tracy Teiger is knowledgeable and experienced in having your case heard early on the court's calendar and ruled on favorably.

With nearly 30 years of family law experience in the north metro Atlanta communities, Tracy Teiger knows how to promote and protect the interests of minors and adults in having their name legally changed. To find out more about the legal and practical considerations of a name change, discuss your situation with an experienced lawyer.

Contact the Teiger Law Center, P.C., in Alpharetta, GA or Cumming, GA by completing our email contact form or by calling 800-780-2275 or 866-726-2153.