Name change

Family Law

Two different procedures: adults and children.

An adult files a petition in the county of residence, supported by fingerprints and a criminal history record. A court will grant it where the change is in the person's interest or in the public interest — and will decline where it appears aimed at avoiding creditors, evading a criminal record, or misleading anyone. Petitioners with a felony conviction or sex offender registration obligation face additional requirements and, in some situations, a bar.

Changing a child's name

A suit to change a child's name requires notice to both parents, and where the other parent objects it becomes a contested hearing decided on the child's best interest. Courts consider the child's identity and how long they have used the current name, the relationship with each parent, embarrassment or difficulty caused by the name, and whether the change is being sought to sever a relationship rather than to help the child. A child aged ten or older must consent in writing.

When a name change is part of something larger

• Divorce — a spouse may have a former name restored in the divorce decree itself, which is simpler and cheaper than a separate suit.
• Adoption — the child's name is changed in the adoption order.
• Marriage — a marriage certificate is generally sufficient to update records without a court order.
• Gender identity — Texas courts grant these petitions; the process is the ordinary adult name change, and we handle it with the discretion it deserves.
• Correcting a mistake on a birth certificate, which is sometimes an amendment rather than a name change.

Afterwards

The signed order is the beginning of the administrative work: Social Security first, then the driver licence or state ID, passport, employer and payroll, banks and lenders, insurers, the county property and voter records, professional licences, and schools. Keep several certified copies of the order — agencies routinely keep the copy you hand them.

Common questions