ATTENTION
PLEASE
READ
ALL
FORMS
AND
INSTRUCTIONS
VERY
CAREFULLY.
WE
ARE
NOT
ATTORNEY'S
AND
WE
CAN
NOT
AND
WILL
NOT
PROVIDE
YOU
WITH
ANY
LEGAL
ASSISTANCE
OR
ANSWER
ANY
QUESTIONS.
WE
WILL
ONLY
PROVIDE
THE
FORMS
TO
YOU
AS
A
COURTESY
AND
IF
YOU
PROCEED
IN
PRO-SE
FORM
YOU
ARE
ACTING
AS
YOUR
OWN ATIORNEY.
IF
YOU
DO
NOT
UNDERSTAND
OR
NEED
HELP
YOU
MUST
CONSULT
AN
ATIORNEY.
PLEASE
UNDERSTAND
THAT
THIS
MAY
NOT
BE
ALL
YOU
NEED
AND
A
JUDGE
MAY
REQUIRE
OTHER
DOCUMENTATION
OR
REQUIREMENTS
BEFORE
AN
ORDER
CAN
BE
GRANTED.
YOU
CAN
GO
TO
WWW.GEORGIALEGALAID.COM
FOR
FURTHER
ASSISTANCE
IF
NEEDED.
FILING
A
CIVIL
CASE
IS
$210.00
CASH
W/OUT
SERVICE
AND
IF
YOU
HAVE
TO
SERVE
THE
OTHER
PARTY
IT
IS
$260.00.
IF
YOU
HAVE
TO
RUN
A
PUBLICIATION
IN
THE
NEWS
PAPER
THAT
IS
AN
ADDITIONAL
COST
THAT
MUST
BE
PAID
TO
THE
ROME
NEWS
TRIBUNE
AND
YOU
MUST
DISCUSS
THE
PUBLICATION
FEE
WITH
THEM.
BARBARA
PENSON
CLERK
OF
COURT
Changing NalUl!s IGeorgiaLegalAid.org IA guide to free and low-cost
legal
aid, assistanc... Page I
of
2
Changing
Names
Authored
By:
Atlanta
Legal
Aid
Society
Inc
at-LSC
Information
Changing
Names
(Answers
to
Common
Questions)
I
Am
Going
To
Be
Getting
A
Divorce
And
Want
to
Return To
the
Name I Used
to
Have
- Can I
Do
This?
Yes,
in
a divorce you may have your maiden or prior name restored to you. You must put this request
in
your complaint
or
petition for divorce in the section where you tell the court what you would like it to do for
you Since it is
in
your divorce proceeding there is no extra charge for this and you
do
not have to have the
name change published separately.
I
Just
Want
To
Change
My
Name -
How
Can I
Do
This?
(1) File a
Petition
for
Name
Change. If you are an adult and want to change your name, you must file a
petition the superior court in the county where you live. The petition must list your reasons for asking to
change your name.
(2) File a
Verification
of
Petition.
You must also sign and file a document called "Verification
of
Petition."
In
the Verification
of
Petition, you are swearing that the information
in
the petition is correct.
(3)
Publish
Notice
of
Name
Change. Within seven (7) days after you file the petition and verification
of
petition, you must arrange
to
have a notice published for four (4) consecutive weeks in the newspaper
designated by that court. The notice must contain your name (the name of the petitioner), the new name you
want, the court where you filed the petition, the date you filed the petition, and the right
of
any interested or
affected party to appear and file objections. Thirty (30) days after you have filed the petition and provided the
court with proof that you have published notice of the name change
in
the newspaper as the court required,
the court
will have a hearing
on
your petition for name change and render final judgement.
If
someone files
an
objection against your petition of name change this may take longer.
Note
on
Fees: You will have to pay a filing fee to file the petition for name change and a publication fee to
publish the notice
of
name change
in
the newspaper.
What
If
the
Person
Is
Under
18 Years Old
(a
Minor)?
If the person who wants to have their name changed is a minor (under 18 years old), you must follow the
regular procedure, plus you must get the written consent
of
the minor's parents.
If
both parents
of
the minor
are dead, the minor's guardian must provide written consent. The written consent must be attached
to
the
petition.
Written consent
of
a parent
is
not required from a parent that has not contributed to the support
of
the minor
for the five continuous years before the petition for name change is filed.
The petition must also be "served" on the parents or guardian. This means that the petition is given in
person to the parents
or
guardian by the sheriff
or
another local "process server", This is called "service
of
process." You have
to
pay a fee to have the petition served
on
the parents or guardian,
If the parents or guardian live outside
of
Georgia then a copy of the petition should be sent by certified mail
or statutory overnight delivery. If the address
of
the parents or guardian is not known, then they can be
"served"
by
notice publication
in
the newspaper.
If
the petition is served
on
the parents or guardians living in Georgia, then the court will hear the petition and
give a final judgment thirty (30) days from the date
of
service.
5811
Changing Names I Gl;!orgiaLegalAid.org I A guide
to
t'ree
and lo\\-cost
ll;!gal
aid. assistanc... Page 2 of:2
If service is
by
certified mail or overnight delivery
to
the parents or guardians living outside
of
Georgia, then
the court will have a hearing
on
the petition for name change and give a final judgment sixty (60) days from
the date the parents or guardian receive the petition.
For more information please contact the Atlanta Legal Aid Society or Georgia Legal Services
Program office nearest you.
For
Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties, call Atlanta Legal Aid Society: 404.-524-
For all other counties, call Georgia Legal Services Program: 1-800-498-9469 (toll free)
For Seniors age 60 and older, call the Georgia Senior Legal Hotline: 1-888-257-9519 (toll free)
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
OF
_____
COUNTY
STATE OF GEORGIA
In re the Name Change of:
Civil Action
Case Number
Petitioner.
PETITION TO CHANGE NAME OF ADULT
The Petitioner files this Petition to Change Name
of
Adult, and states the following
in support
of
the petition:
1)
The Petitioner's name
is
_____________
, and she
or
he resides
In
_______
County, Georgia. Therefore, jurisdiction and venue are proper
in
this Court.
2)
The Petitioner was born on
___________
_
[Check:
and
complete only one
of
the following.]
o
in
_________
County, State
__________
, U.S.A.
o outside the United States, in
___________________
_
3)
The Petitioner wants to change his or her name from
__________
_
_________
to
_____________________
_
Petition to Change
Name
of
Adult
Rev.
April
2008
Page I
of2
\
4)
[Explain here
wh_v
you
want to change
your
name.]
The reasons for this name change are
as
follows:
____________
_
5)
The Petitioner does not intend to use this name change
to
fraudulently deprive
anyone
of
any right under the law.
THEREFORE, the Petitioner asks that the Petitioner's name be changed
as
provided in
Paragraph 3 above.
Dated:
_____
_
Petitioner,
Pro
se
(Signature)
Name:
____________________
__
Address:
_____________
~_
Phone (day):
-'----1.
_______
_
Petition
to
Change Name
of
Adult
--
Rev.
April
2008
Page 2
of2
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
OF
________
COUNTY
STATE
OF
GEORGIA
In re the Name Change of:
Civil Action
Case Number
Petitioner.
VERIFICATION OF PETITION
TO
CHANGE NAl\tIE
OF
ADULT
~ynameis
________________________________________________
__
I hereby swear or affirm, before a notary public, that
I have read the Petition
to
Change
Name
of
Adult that I am filing with this Verification, and the facts stated in it are true.
Petitioner,
Pro se (Signatllre)
. Subscribed and sworn before me
on
____________________
_
20
___
_
Notary Public
My
Commission Expires:
Verification
of
Adult Name Change Petition
Rev.
April
2008
--------------------------------
----------------------------
IN
THE
SUPERIOR COURT OF
_______
COUNTY
STATE OF GEORGIA
In
re the Name Change 0
f:
Civil Action
Case Number
Petitioner.
NOTICE OF PETITION TO CHANGE
NAJ\tIE
OF
ADULT
________________________________________________________
fileda
petition in the
_____________
County Superior Court on
__________________
, 20
___
,
to change the name from:
__________________________________________________
_
____________
to
__________________________________________________
_
Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the
Petition was filed.
Dated:
__________
_
Petitioner,
Pro se (Signature)
Name:
Address:
Notice of Petition
to
Change Name
of
Adult -
Rev.
August
2008
IN
THE
SUPERIOR
COURT
OF
______
COUNTY
STATE
OF
GEORGIA
IN
RE
THE
NAME
CHANGE
OF:
)
)
CIVIL
ACTION
NO,
_____
_
)
PETITIONER,
)
CERTIFICATE
OF
CHANGE
OF
NAME
This is to certify
that
(name
of
Petitioner) has obtained
final
order
of change
of
name
in the
Superior
Court of County,
Georgia,
on
the
_____
day
_________
---'
20--,
as
shown
by
the
records of
the
court,
The name
of
__________
(full name
prior
to
entry
of
the
final
order
of change
of
name) has
been
changed to (full name
after
entry
of
the
final
order
of change
of
name),
Given
under
the
hand
and
seal of said court, this the
____
day
of
______
---',
20_,
Clerk of Superior Court
-------------------------------------------------------------
INTHESUPERIORCOURTOF
_______
·COUNTY
STATE OF GEORGIA
In
re
the Name Change of:
Civil Action
Case Number
Petitioner.
FINAL ORDER CHANGING NAME OF ADULT
This matter has come before the Court on the Petitioner's verified Petition
to
Change Name
of
Adult. It appears to the Court that the required notice has been
published, and sufficient grounds exist for the requested relief.
That such name change shall not operate to authorize Petitioner
to
fraudulently
deprive others
of
any legal rights under the law.
THEREFORE, IT
IS
HEREBY ORDERED that the Petitioner's name shall be
cnangedfrom:
-----------------------------------------------------
to:
This Order entered on
_________________________________
,
20
____
_
nJDGE
______________________
__
County Superior Court
Final Order Changing Name
of
Adult
Rev.
April
2008
