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Changing name in Pennsylvania is a very simple procedure and you can represent yourself and get the job done. An attorney is required only if there are complicated situations.
Things which are required to change your name You will require the forms for the name change case which can be procured from your county prothonotary’s office.
Finger prints has to be taken from the near by police department which serves the city where you reside, a birth certificate is another document which has to be submitted, in case if you don’t have one you can very well contact the health department and can get a copy. Social security card is another document which has to be furnished. You will be asked to publish your name in a couple of newspapers. If you are apprehensive of any security risk by publishing your name in the newspaper, you can bring the issue to the notice of the court with some corroborating evidence. There is a fee for filing and judgment search, if you belong to the low income group, there is a procedure called ‘petition to proceed in Forma pauperis (IFP).Under this proceeding you will be exempted from the filing fee and the fee for the advertisement. All this have to be completed prior to the court proceedings.
change your name procedure
Contact your county’s prothonotary for any sort of details for the name change case, if you are from the low income group and is planning for the IFP option, complete the formalities before the beginning of the case .Prepare the petition with all the needed information like, name and address, valid reason for changing the name, information regarding the address you have lived during the past five years. Your spouse and children should be mentioned in the petition.
The documents should Include, Your petition to change your name , finger print card, copy of your birth certificate, social security card, copy of the driving license and a copy of the IFP petition.
Once you submit your papers to your county’s prothonotary, they will forward them to the state police for their scrutiny. The process will take sixty days approximately and the court will notify you regarding the date. During the time of scrutiny you can go ahead with the advertisement procedure and in case where you have requested the court not to publish your name for reasons of security you will have to furnish the valid reasons before the judge. Two simultaneous searches will be done for each county where you have lived during the past five years to conclude that you are not changing your name to escape from any sort of debt. One search is done by the common pleas court and the other one will be carried out by the family court.
The hearing will begin within three months from the date of filing your application. You will have to be present at the time of hearing with all the copies of the documents you have submitted. The petition will be granted in the normal course, but if there is an objection that also will be taken into consideration which may result in the rejection of your petition.
If you are a minor below 15 years, then a guardian or parents will have to initiate the process. It’s better to consult an attorney in such a case as the process involves a little bit of complication.
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