Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland
juvenile wants to change name.
My husband and I were appointed perm. legal custody and guardianship of a 14 year old boy. Parental rights have not been terminated. This boy wants to change his entire name legally. My question is, do we need to get permission from anyone ( such as bio. parents)before we file papers to have the change done. He is no longer under the dept. of social services either. Any information you can give will be appreciated.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: juvenile wants to change name.
It would be easier to have the boy's name changed if the parents agreed to the change, but it can be done without their approval if the court agrees. Guardians can file a petition for the name change for a minor, and the parents must be notified by service of the petition. If they can't be located, service can take the form of a notice published in the paper. If the parents object, there will be a hearing and the judge will make a decision about the name change. The whole process is not terribly complicated, but you should retain a lawyer to help you with it. Because it isn't usually extremely time consuming or difficult, the fee should not be enormous.
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