It`s easy to change your name after a divorce. Simply include a clause in your divorce application stating your intention to use your maiden name (or the name you had before the marriage). You will be asked to testify before the judge at your divorce hearing and express your desire to return to your old name. The judge fills out the divorce decree, which allows you to update your name change on your Social Security, driver`s license, and any other documents/agencies/accounts that need special attention. It`s important to get your passport quickly if you`re traveling soon, but you don`t want to get it too fast. This is because your name on your travel tickets and reservations must match the name on your passport. So if you have planned your honeymoon with your maiden name/original name, wait until you have updated your passport until you return. Each spouse can change their name after marriage, but only your last name can be changed, not your first name. Your newly chosen name (probably your spouse`s last name) will be written on your marriage decree. Once the decree is approved by a judge, you can take it to the SSA and DMV to update your Social Security and driver`s license. If you or your spouse later decide to separate your last names, you will need to file a petition and follow the standard name change process (see «Change of adult name» below). As with a Social Security name change, a passport correction (DS-5504) is free (we`ll be making a toast!). However, an extension (DS-82) costs $110 for a new passport booklet and/or $30 for a new passport card.
If you`re stuck with the DS-11, you`ll pay $110 and/or $30 plus an additional $35 processing fee. You must notify DMV within ten (10) days of your legal name change. First, you will need to change your name at the Social Security Administration (SSA) before updating your driver`s license. To complete this process, download and complete the Social Security Card Application (Form SS-5). Send this form (by mail or in person) to your local SSA office with proof of identity, proof of name change, and proof of legal presence in the United States. A litigation guardian (LAG) is appointed to represent the child, even if both parents agree to change the child`s name. The Family Court will hold a hearing at which the LAG will report on the results of its investigation into the child`s name change. For a legal name change in South Carolina by court order, follow these steps: Appear before the judge at the agreed time and present him with the cover page of the family court. If the judge deems the change legal and appropriate, he or she signs an order for a change of name.
(In some cases, the judge makes a name change order without a hearing.) Ask the clerk to make certified copies of the order so that you can update your name with the necessary agencies and relevant legal documents. Download and complete the Petition to Change a Minor`s Name form. The application must be completed by you, one of the parents of the minor, the other parent being a party to the claim. (If only one parent is available/alive, the child will be named as a party to the lawsuit). Submit the application to the family court in your place of residence. (B) A parent who wishes to change the name of his or her minor child may write to a family court judge in the county concerned. The other parent, if there is none, then the child, must be named as a party to the claim, unless the court waives it. The court appoints a guardian to represent the child. The court grants the application if it considers it to be in the best interests of the child. Next? Change your name to the Social Security Administration.
This is the biggest step toward a legal name change in SC (and across the country!), and you can use your new Social Security card if you change your name on your driver`s license. Use a lawyer at ContractsCounsel to change your name! Changing a child`s name in South Carolina can be complex and have legal consequences. You should talk to an experienced attorney in South Carolina about issues related to changing the child`s name. Parents have the right to change the name of their minor child (under eighteen years of age) by filing an application with their family court in the county where they live. Unlike an adult name change, all name change applications must be dealt with by a judge at a hearing. Another difference between an adult and a minor name change process is that the latter requires the court to appoint a litigation guardian (LAG) to handle the case. Even if both parents agree to the name change and actively participate in the petition for the child, a LAG will be posted to ensure that the name change is in the best interests of the child. They charge an hourly rate (usually between $150 and $175 per hour) and will communicate their findings to the judge at the time of the hearing.
Anyone over the age of eighteen (18) may request a name change. South Carolina citizens who are on the sex offender registry, in DOC custody, on the DSS Central Child Abuse and Neglect Registry, or who have a criminal record can still apply for a name change. However, an affidavit must be signed to ensure that the information provided to the judge is true and that the person has not been convicted of a crime under another name. Falsifying an affidavit is a criminal offence punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. A judge is assigned to all cases of name change and has the final say on whether or not the name change is appropriate. If a person is in one of the above situations and their name change is approved, the clerk of the court notifies the appropriate department so that they can update their records. Do you change your name after you get married? We hate breaking it for you, but it`s not exactly a one-time business. There are actually several (and often complicated) steps you need to follow to update all your credentials and records, and the process also varies from person to person – not to mention state to state! (How confusing is that?) In fact, a name change to SC begins before you even get married. Since there`s a lot to know, do, and research, we`ve put together this guide to help you take all the important steps of a surname change in South Carolina.
If the family court finds that the change of the child`s name is «in the best interests of the child», it will grant the application. In determining whether the name change is in the best interests of the child, the family court may consider the following factors: You should also note that you only have one chance to use your marriage certificate for a CSLMV name change. Make sure you are 100% satisfied with the married name you give to the SSA, U.S. Department of State, and DMV before requesting your updates. If you want to revert to another variant, you must submit an application to the court. Other documents required, such as identification forms, depend on where you`re applying, so do yourself a favor and call ahead (or visit your district court`s website) for more detailed information. Paragraph 15-49-50. Impact of the change on old commitments. Where a person who changes his name is or is not bound by an obligation the effect of which would extend to the heirs, executors or administrators of the person who has changed his name and imposes an obligation on them, such heirs, executors or administrators are and remain bound in all respects in the same manner and to the same extent: as if the person had not changed his name. A South Carolina name change form is filled out by people seeking a legal name change so they can file their case with a judge. In addition to name changes made after marriage or divorce, adults may wish to change their name or that of a minor (persons under eighteen years of age) for religious, ethnic, political or personal reasons.
Adult and minor name change applications must be filed with the family court in the county where the adult or minor resides. Minor name changes in the state of South Carolina require a lengthy process and, unlike adult name changes, always require a hearing before a judge.