How to change the name or surname and how much it costs

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If you change your name / surname after you are married, or after a divorce, or if you want to do this for some other reason, the process of legal change of your name will cost differently.

How much does it cost to change the name

There is no exact price. It all depends on the individual situation. Various factors are taken into account. Go Banking Rates requests to pay attention.

In order to change your name, you need to file a lawsuit in your county or city. The fee for a name change may vary depending on your location: for example, in California this process will cost $ 435, and in Massacharest just $ 150.

Depending on your location and situation, you are entitled to refuse to pay. For example, in California, a court does not charge a fee to low-income residents or those who receive government assistance.

The following edition provides an example of the cost of changing names in California and Massachusetts.

• Certified copies: $ 25 for certification + 50 cents per page in California; $ 20 in Massachusetts;
• Ad in the paper: required by many states; $ 305 at the Los Angeles Times; from $ 23 to the Boston Globe;
• Lawyer: a lawyer's fee may rise sharply if someone opposes a name change; from $ 100 to $ 200 per hour in rural areas; $ 200 to $ 400 per hour in cities;
• Legal services online: $ 29.95 for the basic package from MissNowMrs.com; $ 139 for providers such as LegalZoom;
• New birth certificate in the USA: $ 28 in Los Angeles; $ 12 in Boston;
• Driver's license change: $ 27 for changing your name in California driver's license; $ 25 in Massachusetts;
• Name change in passport: $ 0 to $ 165.

You can call yourself whatever you want, but if you want to change information on bank accounts and official documents, you need to get a legal basis - a court order.

How to legally change your name

If you change your name after marriage through the traditional application process in court, you can usually provide a certified copy of the marriage certificate for all institutions. If you are divorced, you can request a name change as part of a divorce settlement.

In order to change a name in an unconventional marriage, in the event of a divorce involving children, whose names must be changed, and in all other circumstances, the following steps must be taken:

1. Prepare court documents for applying for a name change. You can hire a lawyer or use LegalZoom services (priced from $ 139) or MissNowMrs.com (valued from $ 29,95). Or to reduce costs, you can prepare the documents yourself.
2. Submit documents to the court.
3. Attend the hearing. If you hired a lawyer to represent you at the hearing, you will have to pay from $ 100 to $ 200 per hour in the countryside or $ 200 to $ 400 per hour in the cities.
4. Post a notice in a newspaper if required by state law.
5. If the judge approves the name change, get a certified copy of the judge’s order. You can save time and travel costs by obtaining certified copies on the day of your hearing, if any.
6. Change the birth certificate and other documents by providing a notarized copy of the order of the judge.

Who to notify after the name change

After completing the name change process, you should inform the following individuals and organizations:

• Social Security Administration.
• State Department of Vehicle Registration.
• Post office.
• Bank, credit union or other financial institutions.
• Employer.
• Doctors.
• Insurers.

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