Legal Question in Family Law in Missouri

Re: Name change of minor child

I assume you are wanting to do so without the assistance and expertise of an attorney. If so, I would recommend you contact the county clerk for the county in which the child is located. Often they will have a form for a Change of Name Petition, which you can follow and they may, or may not, be willing to assist you in its completion. Otherwise, I would recommend you engage an attorney to assist you with the process as it can be done inexpensively by an attorney, assuming there is no one contesting the change of name. Good luck. Feel free to give me a call if you would like further assistance on this matter.

Re: Name change of minor child

Yes, in most cases it is possible to change the legal name of a child. If you are the child's parent or legal guardian you may file a petition in the circuit court in the county where you reside. You would initially ask the Court to appoint you as "Next Friend" for the child for the purposes of prosecuting the suit for the name change. Then, you would file a Petition with the Court. The Petition will have to include various allegations required by law. A Notice will have to be prepared and published a number of times, usually in the local paper or legal paper. If any interested party is entiled to more specific notice or even service of process, you will need to be sure that they are notified or served, and they will have an opportunity to be heard. Usually, the Court will hold a hearing at which time the Order for a Change of Name will be entered if everything is in order, Finally, the Order or a form with all of the necessary information must be sent to the state (Bureau of Vital Statistics, I believe). I have handled several name changes for minors over the years, and I would be glad to provide legal services if you require them and if you are located in the Eastern part of the state. My practice is concentrated in the counties surrounding St. Louis. Please feel free to call me for a telphone consultation at 314-727-2822 if I might be of service to you.