Change-Child

Read our advice on how to change your child's name after you divorce or separate.
Table of contents

Only one parent is named on the child's birth certificate the other parent named on the child's birth certificate is deceased provide a certified copy of the death certificate as proof. Applications from a legal guardian If you're the child's legal appointed guardian, and not the child's birth parent, you need to provide proof, as well as either: Proof that the parents can't be located Proof that the parents are deceased, or A court order instructing us to change the child's name without the parents' consent.

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What you receive If your child was born in Victoria You get a birth certificate showing your child's name at birth and your child's new name. The certificate is valid for all legal and official purposes. If your child was born overseas You get a 'Change of name' certificate showing your child's name at birth and your child's new name.

Processing and delivery How long will it take for my application to be processed? Postage fees Shipping fees cannot be refunded if you decide to collect your certificate s in person. We do no send commemorative certificates by Registered post. We do not send commemorative certificates by Express post.

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This is not a priority service fee - standard Turnaround times still apply. Services and information About us. Marriage celebrants log in. Medical practitioners log in. Access to relationship records. Change of name policy. Deceased indicator on birth certificates. Feedback and complaints practice. A full Australian birth certificate of a younger sibling of the child Overseas birth certificate of a younger sibling of the child. Date received Full application with eligibility and proof of identity documents. During the hearing you will be allowed to tell the judge why you object to the proposed name change.

If you had the ability to pay support, but have not provided financial support for your child for the past two years, and if you had the ability to contact or visit your child, but have not regularly contacted your child during the past two years, the judge might approve the name change over your objections.

If you have been convicted of child abuse or any sexual assault crime, and the victim was the child with the proposed name change or a sibling of that child, the judge might approve the name change over your objection. If you receive notice of the hearing but do not to do anything, you lose the ability to object to the proposed name change.

Change your name by deed poll

Minors can file petitions to change their own names if they are at least 14 years old. Once you have completed the petition, file it with the family division of the circuit court in the county where your child lives. Your child must have lived in that county for at least one year before you file the petition. If you cannot afford to pay this, you can ask the judge to waive the fees.


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Read Fee Waivers in Court Cases to learn more about fee waivers. The other parent must be given legal notice of the hearing and have a chance to object to the proposed name change.

Changing Your Minor Child’s Name | Michigan Legal Help

You must mail a copy of the Notice of Hearing and Petition to Change Name to the other parent and file the proof of service with the court. All notices of name change hearings must be published in a local newspaper. Some courts work directly with the local Legal News for publication.

In these courts, a copy of the Publication of Notice of Hearing form will be sent to the Legal News for publishing when you file. After you pay the fee, the Legal News will mail you the original Affidavit of Publication for you to file with the court. Other courts require you to contact a local newspaper to have it publish the notice.

You may need to ask the newspaper to publish the notice right away.

Rasta Children feat. Nattali Rize

The prices will vary depending on the newspaper. In most cases you must publish the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name Form NC in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for 4 weeks in a row.

How to change your child's last name

Your court most likely has a list of newspapers that are approved for publishing legal notices. The cost for publication can vary greatly between newspapers and your court fee waiver will not waive your publication fees. This is because once the judge signs the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name you must publish in the newspaper listed on the form.

You cannot change the form after it is signed. Make sure you also take the proof of service showing the other parent got a copy of the papers.

Enrol your child’s new name

If the court finds that it would NOT be best for your child to change his or her name, then the judge will deny your request. Once you get your signed decree, get a certified copy from the court clerk. Click for instructions on changing your child's birth certificate after a court order.

If you are the only parent filing a petition request to change your child's name - whether the other parent agrees or not - you will get a court date and you will have to let the other parent know about your petition and about the court date for the petition. If your child's other parent does not agree to changing the child's name, he or she has the right to oppose your request. To file, follow these steps: Fill out your court forms.