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FAQs?
The following are some of the more typical questions that arise in changing your last name after marriage or divorce, or in using our service:
Do I need to change my last name if I am only hyphenating it with my spouse's?
Can this service be used for reasons other than marriage or divorce?
Once I order your service, for how long will my account be valid?
If the foregoing does not answer all of your questions, or you should have any comments on how we can improve our service, please contact us by clicking on the Contact Us hyperlink below. We would also be interested in hearing what you thought of our Website.
How do I legally change my last name?
Good question! If you choose to take your spouse’s name after marriage, or hyphenate it with yours, the legal document which permits you to do so is the marriage license. Likewise, if you wish to return to your former last name after a recent divorce, the legal document which permits you do to so is the divorce decree. Unlike with marriage, however, it is recommended that during your divorce proceedings you specifically request the judge handling your case to make a formal ruling restoring your former or birth name in the divorce decree to ensure that your last name change is properly documented. If your divorce decree does not contain such an order restoring your former or birth name, then please contact us and we can discuss your circumstances on a case by case basis.
Is it enough to just legally change my last name?
No! No matter whether you are changing your last name after marriage or divorce, it is not enough to just legally change your last name by evidence of the marriage license or divorce decree; you should also change your last name on all of your records, identification cards and legal documents.
Do I need to change my last name if I am only hyphenating it with my spouse's?
Yes! Any modification of your last name is considered a name change that will need to be processed.
Can a man use this service as well?
Yes! The service offered by this Website can be used by either a woman or a man to change their last name on account of marriage or divorce.
Can this service be used for reasons other than marriage or divorce?
Unfortunately, our service is limited to changing your last name on account of marriage or divorce. If you want to change your last name for any other reason, I am afraid the procedure is more complicated than what our service offers. The law regarding changing your last name other than by marriage or divorce varies from state to state. A few states may allow you to change your last name by usage only. No court action is necessary. Most others will require that you file a Name Change Petition with your local court and obtain a court order before you can change your last name.
Practically speaking, it is advised that even if your state allows you to change your last name by usage, you should consider obtaining a court document authorizing your name change because it will be a lot easier to get everyone to accept your new name. Many government agencies and private organizations may be unwilling to process your name change unless they see something in writing signed by a judge/court. Given the complexity of changing your last name other than by marriage or divorce, it is suggested that you consult a lawyer in your county specializing in family law and familiar with the rules of your local court.
For the above reasons, we
have limited our service to changing your last name only on account of marriage
or divorce. Once you have legally changed your name (either by usage or
court order), you will still need to process your name change on all of your
records and documents in much the same fashion as you would after marriage or
divorce. Our service could then be used for this.
We have listed most of the governmental agencies and private organizations that you will need to contact in order to change your last name on the Getting Started page. Please click on the Getting Started button below for a list of such governmental agencies and private organizations.
How do I get started or where should I begin?
We have provided explicit instructions on how to get started under the Getting Started page. Please click on the Getting Started button below for detailed instructions on how to get started.
How long does this process take?
There is no set time period or limit on how long the process of changing your last name should take. By clicking on the appropriate hyperlink under the Getting Started page, we have provided information on how long the process will take for each such agency or organization to effect your name change. The entire process to effect your last name change could take as little as 1 or 2 months or over a year, depending upon how quickly you contact each organization and/or complete and forward the necessary documentation.
Will changing my last name cost me a lot of money?
In addition to our fee, each organization may charge a fee or expense for processing your name change. The fees and expenses vary from organization to organization. By clicking on the appropriate hyperlink under the Getting Started page, we have provided information with respect to the fees and expenses each governmental agency or private organization will charge in order to process your name change. Generally, most organizations do not charge a fee to process your last name change. Of those that do, the fees and expenses typically range from $3.00 - $50.00.
How do I know if my last name has been properly changed?
By ordering our service you will receive specific instructions on how to change your last name with each governmental agency and private organization. We also provide you with clear and easy to understand follow-up procedures to make sure that your last name is properly changed. It is important to understand that we merely provide you with all of the tools that you will need to change your last name, and, unless you have ordered the We Do It For You Name Change Kit, you alone will be responsible for effecting your last name change with each governmental agency and private organization.
What's the difference between the Name Change Kits?
The basic difference
between the Do It Yourself Name Change Kit and the We Do It For You Name Change Kit is that instead of
notifying all of the different governmental agencies and private organizations
yourself, and then following up with them to make sure that your last name has
been properly changed, we would handle that administrative function for
you. The benefit of the We Do It For You Name Change Kit is to relieve you of the
administrative burden of processing your last name change yourself. You
will still be required to fill out all of the necessary forms and
documents, however, since you are the only one with all of the
pertinent information.
Once your payment is accepted you will be assigned and emailed a self-expiring 30 day password so that you can access the services and documents offered by this Website. Therefore, it is recommend that you not order our service until after your marriage or divorce, and you are ready to process your name change. We have generally found that once you have all of the necessary information at hand, it should take no more than an hour or two to complete all of the necessary documentation to process your last name change. In the event that you should require more than 30 days to process your last name change, please contact us and we will make arrangements to extend your account.
Will my personal information be confidential and secure?
Yes! Any and all information received by us will be held in confidence. Under no circumstance will we disclose any of your personal information to an outside party without your prior consent. In addition and unless you have ordered the We Do It For You Name Change Kit, we would not have access to your personal information due to the fact that all of our documents are downloadable in a Word or PDF version. You complete the necessary forms and documents offline, on your own desktop and in the comfort of your own home by filling in all of your personal information. This way you ensure the privacy of all of your personal information; such as what credit cards you hold, what insurance you carry, what investments you have and any and all other sensitive personal information.
Lastly, any credit card information that we receive from you in ordering our service will be processed through an outside vendor, LinkPoint International. LinkPoint is a merchant bank which collects member payment information and processes member payments. LinkPoint uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) which is an encryption technology that scrambles individual characters before they travel across the internet. SSL is the standard encryption technology used by websites worldwide.
If you should have any remaining concerns as to the privacy or security of your personal information, please feel free to contact us so that we may address your concerns.
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