How Do I Change My Child’s Name in Virginia?

Changing your child's name in Virginia can be a relatively straightforward process. In most situations, it is as simple as filling out a form.

You want to change your child’s name, but how do you do it? For Virginia Residents, the process can be relatively straightforward.

In the simplest of situations, it only requires you to file a form with your local court. In other cases, you may have to have a hearing before a court to change the child’s name.

File an Application With Your Local Circuit Court

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You’ll want to begin by obtaining an application to change your child’s name.

This application consists of two forms: Change of Name (Minor) form and a Proposed Order for Change of Child’s Name.

You can either find the Change of Name (Minor) form online or request a copy from your clerk’s office.

However, you must get the Proposed Order from your court clerk, as these orders can vary from county to county.

Application Process

The application to change your child’s name is relatively straightforward.

You simply need to fill out the basic information on the above forms and submit them to the court.

If you will be filing the form jointly with the child’s other parent, then you will need to have that parent fill out the bottom section of the form.

Each parent should sign the form in the presence of the notary.

If you and the other parent are signing jointly, then you both will need to sign in front of a notary.

You will want to bring the child’s birth certificate when you submit the form.

The exact procedure will vary among counties. Some counties will require you to go through a hearing, others will not.

It may be helpful to call your local circuit court clerk to find out the specific procedure.

Additionally, when changing a minor’s name, the Virginia Code requires that you publish the change somewhere public.

For example, you might have to place an ad in a local newspaper each week for four consecutive weeks.

Restrictions

There are several restrictions you should consider when filing:

  • You will have to file your child’s name change application in the Circuit Court of the county where your child resides.
  • You and your child must have lived in Virginia for at least six months prior to applying to have your child’s name changed.
  • The Judge has the final decision on whether or not to approve the name change. They will decide in the best interests of the child.

Note: It is very difficult to change a child’s name against the wishes of the other parent.

Even if the other parent has abandoned the child or is currently incarcerated, it is probably not enough to only show that it is in the child’s best interest to have their name changed.

Additional Considerations

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Once you have successfully changed your child’s name, there are still a few things you need to do.

The act of legally changing a name does not automatically change the child’s name everywhere.

In fact, the only record automatically updated by this process is your child’s entry in the Virginia Department of Health.

For this reason, you need to formally notify several other agencies of your child’s name change.

Certified Copies of the Name Change Order

The certified name change order is the paper that gives your child the power to actually use a different legal name.

Since this order is so important, it is a good idea to get several certified copies in case one is lost or damaged.

Two or three certified copies should be adequate. The only way to get additional copies is to request them from the court clerk.

Though you can request additional copies from the clerk anytime, it is best to request the extra certified copies in advance of the order.

Instead of just certifying one copy, the clerk will certify as many as you request.

However, most courts charge an additional fee for additional copies, and you will need to pay for them in advance.

Places to Notify of Name Change

Once receiving a certified copy of the Name Change Oder, the legal parent or guardian is responsible for notifying other businesses, agencies, and schools of the changed name.

The best way to get such places to update their records is to show them a certified copy of the name change so they know it is official.

Some common places to notify include:

What if a parent disagrees with the change?

A parent disagreeing with the change can present a significant hurdle in the process.

If a minor has two living parents who do not join in the application for a name change, then the name change process becomes much more complicated.

In this case, you would begin by filing the same application as above.

You would then have to take the application to the court clerk and have the application served with reasonable notice of the application to the child’s other parent.

If the parent objects to changing your child’s name, then a hearing will be held to determine whether the name change is in the best interest of your child.

There are a few situations where the notice requirement can be waived, the most significant of which is regarding instances where notifying the other parent of the child’s name change would threaten the well-being of the child.

Under Virginia law, the court may waive the requirement to provide notice when such notice “would present a serious threat to the health and safety of the applicant.”

What if the child has no living parents?

Then the child’s guardian can apply on their behalf.

If the child has no living parent, then you can fill out the application as their “next friend.”

This is a term that basically means “any adult sufficiently close to the minor, as decided by the court.”

For example, a family doctor, long-time friend of the child’s parents, or a sufficiently close family member.

Conclusion

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The application process to change your child’s name is an easy one, but dealing with bureaucracy or the legal system can be a nightmare.

If you need assistance changing your child’s name or fighting an application to change your child’s name, then consider contacting us today for a consultation with one of our experienced family law attorneys.

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