How to Change Your Baby's Middle Name
Choosing your baby's middle name may have involved many hours of thought. You may have wanted to honor a family member or carry on a tradition. Then again, you may have focused all of your attention on the first name, and left the middle name to a momentary whim. You may even have skipped choosing a name at all and just used a middle initial when you filled out the birth certificate. Regardless of how much or little you put into the process, you can always change your baby's middle name if you later regret your choice. How complicated the process is depends largely on the baby's age, where you live and how official you want the change to be.
Instructions
Call your baby by whatever new middle name you like, and ask friends and relatives to do the same. This is called "simple usage," and it will not be a legal change. You (and the child) will always have to use what is registered on the birth certificate when filling out school or medical forms, applying for jobs, or getting a license or passport. Your state may allow you to change the middle name on the birth certificate if your baby is less than 12 months old. Call the Department of Vital Records for your state to ask what is required. For a small fee, you may be able to avoid taking any other legal action. If a court order is required regardless of the baby's age, you will have to follow all of the steps required by your state to change a minor child's name. A lawyer will already know all state requirements to change your baby's middle name legally. You can pay him to do all of the work, or just some of the more complicated portions, and do some of it yourself. This option means less work for you, but at a higher cost, as you will pay the lawyer his fees on top of any fees charged by your state. Many online companies, including legalzoom.com, civiltree.com and uslegalforms.com, offer packages and legal services for name changes that help minimize how much you have to do. You may still be required to file paperwork in person with the court, and you may have to appear before a judge. These companies charge a fee, but it might be less than a lawyer would charge. If you prefer to tackle the middle name change on your own, call your local county court clerk to determine what your state requires, including length of residency and form fees. Ask if there are any forms online or if you will have to do everything in person. Specific steps will vary, based on your state, but the basic steps are the same: Previous:How to Change a Diaper Genie
File a form asking for a name change, which will require a judge's approval.
File a public notice announcing the intended name change so that any person with a valid opinion can be heard by the judge. The notice typically must appear in a local or county newspaper over a specified length of time, such as three consecutive weeks.
Receive a final court order making the name change legal once all requirements are met.
Sign the name change forms. Most states require both parents to sign the name change forms. If only one parent is initiating the change, the judge will probably require her to attempt to notify the other parent before proceeding with a name change.
Under normal circumstances, the name change will become official 30 to 90 days after you begin the process. The costs vary by state.
