If you are just hitched, or you are a minor, adult, or a divorcee and want to get your name changed for any reason, Maryland courts require you to follow a specific procedure.
There are two ways in which you can get your name changed legally in Maryland. This could be either by reflecting the name change under common law or by submitting the name change form to the Maryland circuit form. Let’s know about the latter in detail.
The following point should be covered in your name change Maryland form:
- 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.
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Previous name.
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New name.
What Is a Maryland Name Change Form & How Does It Work?
A Maryland name change form is a legal document that can be used and filled out to submit the name change petition in the Maryland Circuit Courts. A Maryland name change form is a prime requisite to get your name changed in Maryland for any reason.
Certain steps need to be followed to get your name changed in Maryland. You need to go through a proper legal process before you can change your name permanently. The Judge provides the final say in the name change Maryland.
How to Legally Change Your Name in Maryland?
Here are the series of steps you need to fulfill for name change in Maryland legally.
File a petition
A petition of name changed needs to be filed foremostly for taking permission of name change. This includes the personal information of the person requesting a name change, the reason for a name change, the reason for requesting a name change, and other necessary details.
Fill a name change form
Once the petition is approved, a person needs to fill out the Maryland name change form that includes both the changed name and original name. The Clerk of the Court fills out the rest of the information.
Visit a local Circuit Court
Visiting a local Circuit Court can help follow the procedure of name change smoothly. You can inform yourself of the name change fees of your country or state and know other necessary practices to be followed.
File documents at the Circuit Court
After that, you need to present all the necessary documents before the clerk of the Circuit Court, where these documents would be certified. You also pay the filing fee or fill the Request for Waiver of Prepayment of the filing fee if you can’t.
Publication of name change
The changed name will then be published in the local newspaper at least 15 days before the deadline of the name change. This is done to check the authenticity of the petitioner. If someone objects to the name, the person has to address the person formally before 15 days.
Publication fee
After the publication, the person will be sent the publication invoice to pay for the cost of publication that could be around $200. Once received, the publishing company will send the Certification of Publication to the court as the written proof of published name change.
Judge makes the final decision
Once the Clerk of Court receives this certification, it is then sent to the Judge for the final decision. If the judge approves the final petition and signs it, the name is changed.
When Do People Change Their Names in Maryland?
There are four common reasons when people change their names in Maryland. These are:
Changing names after marriage
It is easy to change names after marriage if it is changed in the marriage license. You just need to sign with your new changed name on your marriage license to make it applicable. To update and reflect the new name in other identification cards, the marriage license can then be used as a proof.
Changing a name after divorce
Similarly, if you want to change your name after divorce, thus mention your changed name in the divorce decree. However, they cannot change it to a new change but only to the same name before marriage.
Adult name change
An adult can change the name for various reasons that should not be illegal or as a means of fraud. Changing your name as an adult follows the same procedure as described above.
Minor name change
A minor or child can also have a name change by filing the petition for any reasonable reasons. However, there are certain special requirements for the same, i.e., the biological parents or guardian of the child should comply with the name change, and the birth certificate of the child with the current name of it should be submitted to the court for filing a petition.
Also, the person should be the resident of the respective country or state they are filing in.
What's Needed to Change Names in Maryland?
The documents needed to change the name in Maryland include:
- Petition for the name change
- copy of the birth certificate
- Maryland name change form
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