Legal Question in Family Law in California

Re: Is my name change legal

You changed your name legally when you used your stepfather's name consistently. Evidence of this is the fact that you were able to get a driver's license and social security card with the preferred name. In most cases, this will suffice as a legal name change. However, the passport office is a bit of a different beast. You need to change your name legally with the courts in order to use your stepfather's name on a passport. Otherwise, the US Secretary of State (which issues your passport) will insist on using your name as it appears on your birth certificate.

Re: Is my name change legal

Dear Inquirer:

Nothing herein shall create an attorney-client

relationship, unless a written retainer agreement

is executed by the attorney and client. This

communication contains general information only.

Nothing herein shall constitute an attorney-client

communication nor legal advice. There likely are

deadlines and time-limits associated with your

case; you should contact an attorney of your

choice for legal advice specific to your personal

situation, at once.

If you haven't already done so, please visit my

web site at --

http://home.pacbell.net/edbjr/ OR

http://www.CaliforniaDivorceAttorney.com

The site contains quite a bit of general

information about California Family Law, Tenants'

Rights, and Juvenile Dependencies, and EDD

hearings and appeals, as well as information

about me (education, experience, et cetera)

and my office (location, hours, fees, policies).

NOW, IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INQUIRY --

You can change your name by usage (as you have) or

by court-order. The latter makes it easier when dealing

with official records and sometimes is required. Check

with the State Department regarding passports. I charge

$995 for a court ordered name change including filing fee,

publication costs, and one court appearance if necessary.

Thanks for sharing your interesting inquiry with

us on LawGuru, and good luck with your case.

Re: Is my name change legal

Dear Inquirer:

Nothing herein shall create an attorney-client

relationship, unless a written retainer agreement

is executed by the attorney and client. This

communication contains general information only.

Nothing herein shall constitute an attorney-client

communication nor legal advice. There likely are

deadlines and time-limits associated with your

case; you should contact an attorney of your

choice for legal advice specific to your personal

situation, at once.

If you haven't already done so, please visit my

web site at --

http://home.pacbell.net/edbjr/ OR

http://www.CaliforniaDivorceAttorney.com

The site contains quite a bit of general

information about California Family Law, Tenants'

Rights, and Juvenile Dependencies, and EDD

hearings and appeals, as well as information

about me (education, experience, et cetera)

and my office (location, hours, fees, policies).

NOW, IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INQUIRY --

You can change your name by usage (as you have) or

by court-order. The latter makes it easier when dealing

with official records and sometimes is required. Check

with the State Department regarding passports. I charge

$995 for a court ordered name change including filing fee,

publication costs, and one local court appearance if necessary.

Thanks for sharing your interesting inquiry with

us on LawGuru, and good luck with your case.