If you are adopting your daughter or if your spouse is completing a stepparent adoption, the court will generally allow you to change your name at the time they finalize the adoption. If you wish to change your daughter's name for reasons other than marriage or adoption, you will need to petition the court. Once you received a signed order, you may change your daughter's legal name on her birth certificate, passport, school documents and Social Security card.
Step 1
Prepare a name change petition. The laws governing name change vary between states, but almost all jurisdictions require you to commence a new name change hearing with a written petition. Since name changes are routine legal matters, you may be able to obtain a sample petition from the court clerk.
Step 2
List the parties' biographical information in the petition. The name change petition should include your daughter's birth name, proposed new name, date of birth, both parents' names and each party's contact information.
Step 3
Explain why you wish to change your daughter's name. The name change petition should outline your reasons for legally changing your daughter's name. It must also include a statement indicating that you are not changing your daughter's name to evade legal obligations, such as a child custody or child support orders.
Step 4
Obtain the proper consents. To change your daughter's name legally, the court will need the written consent of both parents. If you do not know the other parent's whereabouts, you will need to attempt to locate him and document your efforts in the petition.
Step 5
Submit your petition to the court. After both parents have signed the petition, submit it to the office of the clerk of the court in the jurisdiction where your daughter resides. Once the court reviews the document, you may be assigned a hearing date. At your hearing, the judge may want to speak with your daughter if she is old enough to understand the implications of a name change.
Step 6
Wait for the court order. One the court approves your daughter's name change, you will receive an order signed by the judge. You can use this document to apply for new identification for your daughter.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are unclear about any step of the name change process, contact an attorney.
