You might want to change your name for a variety of reasons. You might have just tied the knot with your beloved, gotten a divorce, or for other personal reasons. There may be instances when a minor child would need or want to get their names changed.
The state of Arizona allows its residents to change their name and also their genders on all their legal documents. A name change in Arizona for an adult or a minor can be done by submitting certain official documents. The process is systematic, and you would have to go through certain bureaucratic procedures. In certain cases, you might have to appear for a court hearing to proceed with the official name change.
The Arizona name change template should include the following information:
- An attestation declaring that the name change is not being requested to conduct fraud or a crime.
- Sign on a notarized form consenting to the current name change or be present at the hearing date if you are a minor.
- Previous name.
- New name.
What Is an Arizona Name Change Form & How Does It Work?
In order to start the process of changing your name in Arizona, you need to fill a Name Change Application Form. Two forms are available one is an Application for Name Change of an Adult, and the other is an Application form for the Name Change of a Minor Child.
Both application forms can be obtained online. The application needs to be filled, notarized, and presented to a Superior court in the County of the applicant’s residence.
There are certain requirements that an applicant needs to fulfill before filling a marriage name change Arizona form and applying for a name change. The requirements are mentioned below:
- The applicant must be above 18 years old
- Application has to be filed in the County where the applicants reside
- There needs to be a legit and practical reason for the name change request
- One must not be applying for a change of name for criminal purposes such as avoiding debt, defrauding creditors, or to violate the rights of others.
Changing the name of a minor has some additional set of requirements which are as follows:
- The applicant has to be the parent or the guardian of the minor child
- The minor whose name is to be changed has to be below the age of 17 years
- A written consent needs to be provided by all adults who are legally in charge of the minor.
How To Legally Change Your Name In Arizona?
Legal name change Arizona is a three-step process involved to change your name as an adult. You need to raise a petition to change your name by filing an application. The application form requires you to note down your current name and present residential address.
You also need to mention if you have any former legal names or aliases and mention the period these names were used.
An attestation needs to be provided by the applicant, stating that the name change is not being requested to commit some fraud or a crime.
Applicants are required to disclose if they have had any present or past criminal charges or convictions against them in the past and give details for the same if applicable. The application then needs to be signed and attested by a notary.
After submission and payment of fees, the court will decide a hearing date. The applicant needs to appear personally for a court hearing where the decision will be considered or rejected depending upon any objections raised or the reason for a name change. If the court is satisfied, the courts issue an order which changes the applicant’s name, and once it is signed the applicant’s name is legally changed.
The legal process for changing the name of a minor child is similar. However, both parents of the minor child need to be informed about the name change and hearing. If the child is above 14 years of age, they are either required to sign a notarized form giving their consent to the current name change or be present at the date of the hearing.
When Do People Change Their Names in Arizona?
There are a variety of reasons why a person would want to get their names changed. In Arizona, a person usually wants to get their names changed in order to get their maiden names back after a divorce or separation.
Another common reason for name change in Arizona is marriage; a partner may choose to take on the surnames of their spouses post their wedding. Sometimes a parent or a guardian would want to change the names of their child to be the same as their parents or guardians.
In some cases, the individual may not be comfortable with their gender and current name and would want to get their entire identity changed by getting a new name. Sometimes the person is just not fond of their names and would like to get it changed for personal reasons.
Key Considerations in Changing Names in Arizona
The entire procedure of changing your name legally in the state of Arizona can be pretty tedious. There are multiple steps in the entire process, and one needs to gather all important documents and mention every detail, which would be of importance to the authorities.
Make sure you have a reasonable reason for changing your name, inform all parties who need to be notified about the name change, and make sure all your documents are proper. You need to pay attention to detail so that no mistakes are made, which would act as a hurdle.
You must act patiently and be willing to go through the entire process without getting frustrated and annoyed. Since bureaucratic procedures do not happen in an instant, it is best to keep your cool and make sure you’ve done everything that needs to be done on your part well.
Are you planning on getting your name changed? CocoSign can help you in the process. We offer you a variety of free Arizona name change forms, which would make your life easier and save you time.