The court process of getting a court order after filing a Petition for Change of Name can take up to 3 months and has many legal steps that must be followed. A name change lawyer near you can help you streamline the process. The steps for legally changing your name include:

• Properly filling out the court forms
• Publishing the Request for Change of Name (if required – this is typically not required in cases involving domestic violence)
• Going to the Court Hearing
• Receiving your Decree Changing Name and taking that to Social Security, the DMV, etc.

If you are changing your name to conform to your gender identity, or in other special situations, some of the steps are different for you, so our attorneys can make sure that you are aware of the differences and comply with the rule properly.

If you are changing the name of your child, there are even more rules and more stringent steps to follow and those steps differ based on whether you and the other parent are filing the request to change your child’s name together or not. If you are not filing the request jointly with the other parent, you want to ensure you have the best possible chance of success. The best option is to consult with experienced, knowledgeable legal counsel, like the Los Angeles name change attorneys at MNB Law Group, to understand your rights, responsibilities, and the challenges you may come up against if the other parent objects to the name change.