How Much Does It Cost To Change Your Name In Massachusetts

Updated Dec 08, 2021

A Massachusetts name change class (Grade CJP 27) is used by an adult to apply for a legal proper name change within the state. For minor proper name changes, the parent(s) or guardian(s) with legal custody of the child will file a dissimilar petition, known every bit "Form CJP 25." After the applicable petition is complete, the filer must take their name modify document, along with the necessary supporting paperwork and filing fees, to the Probate and Family court for submission. Proper name changes following marriage or divorce are very common and can be accomplished as a part of the marriage or divorce process. All other name change requests must be processed by the Probate and Family unit Court.

Laws – Massachusetts General Police force, Chapter 46 § 1(d), and Chapter 210 § 12 – 13

Name Change After Marriage
Name Alter Later on Divorce
Adult Proper noun Change (No Wedlock or Divorce)
Driver'due south License
Voter Registration
Minor (Child) Proper name Change

Name Change After Marriage

Adopting a spouse'southward surname when getting married is an American tradition and is therefore hands achieved. When applying for a spousal relationship license, the couple volition indicate the name alter on their Marriage License Application, which will be filed with the Courtroom Clerk. After the matrimony ceremony has been performed and the spousal relationship license is signed by the Officiant, the proper noun change volition exist official. At this juncture, the individual can utilize their wedlock license as proof of a proper name alter when they update their diverse records, accounts, and registrations.

Proper noun Modify Afterwards Divorce

An private getting a divorce can revert to their surname or former married name by indicating a proper name change on their divorce prescript. There is no extra charge for the name modify as long as the subject includes the name alter in the original divorce Petition/Complaint. Those who do not include the proper noun change in the original documentation will be charged an additional filing fee ($100 at the fourth dimension of this writing). In Massachusetts, an individual may only assume a previous surname as a part of divorce proceedings and must file a separate petition if they wish to alter their proper name to anything else.

Adult Name Modify (No Marriage or Divorce)

Any resident of Massachusetts who is eighteen (18) years of age or over can legally change their name as long as they are non doing and so for fraudulent purposes. In society to legally perform a name alter, they must file a petition with their canton probate court. In this state, any person who requests a name change through the court must publish notice of the change in order to give the public the opportunity to object. The court volition grant nearly requests without requiring a court hearing. However, if in that location is whatsoever objection to the name change or if the judge deems information technology necessary, the petitioner may need to attend the court hearing regarding their modify of proper name.

Pace i – Fill out Modify of Proper name Petition

In order to file a petition with the Probate and Family Court, an individual must first make full out the Petition to Change Name of Adult (CJP 27). This course requires the petitioner to provide their current name, accost, the proposed new name, and a description of why they want to alter their name. In one case complete, the petitioner will need to sign the form in the presence of a notary public.

Note: Certain documents may not display correctly when viewed in a spider web browser. These forms should be downloaded and opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Step ii – Fill out Release Asking Form

The individual must proceed by filling out the Court Activeness Record Information and Warrant Management System Release Asking Form (CJP 34). With this document, the petitioner must point the nature of the courtroom proceeding (modify of name) and provide the following personal information: current name, date of birth, the last 4 digits of their social security number, and their mother's maiden name. If the petitioner has used whatever aliases in the past, all names must be mentioned in the applicable surface area of this document.

Stride 3 – Get together Documents

Earlier filing their petition, the private will demand to assemble the following documents every bit necessary:

Petition to Alter Proper noun of Adult
Court Activeness Tape Information and Warrant Direction Arrangement Release Request Form
Certified copy of birth document (obtainable from their town or city clerk or the Registry of Vital Statistics)
Certified copy of divorce decree or marriage document (if applicable)
Record of previous proper noun alter (if applicable)

Step four – File Name Modify Petition at the Probate and Family Court

Once the petitioner has all of their documents in order, they may proceed to their local Probate and Family Courtroom to file their petition and supporting documents. The court will request a criminal background check on the petitioner from the Commissioner of Probation.

Stride 5 – Pay the Filing Fee

In lodge to file their Petition to Change Proper name of Adult, the petitioner must pay a fee of $150, as well every bit an additional $15 surcharge and, if required, a $15 fee for a Commendation of Publication. Not all counties in Massachusetts accept checks or credit cards equally methods of payment, and then it would be pertinent to bank check with the canton courtroom before attempting to file a petition. If the petitioner is unable to pay the filing fee, they may apply for the court to waive or supplement the fee by filling out and submitting the Affidavit of Indigency (more information on indigency can be accessed here).

Footstep 6 – Publish Notice of Name Change

Unless the petitioner deliberately requested that their name change not exist fabricated public, their name change must exist published in a local paper. This is required in order to requite members of the public an opportunity to object to the name change. The court will send the petitioner a Commendation for Publication that must be published in a local newspaper, which is often indicated in the commendation. The citation will demand to be sent via certified mail with a return receipt requested, and the publication needs to be bundled through the appropriate paper'south legal notice department.

Pace seven – Pay Publication Fee

The newspaper will ship the petitioner an invoice for the price of publication. These fees tin can cost upward to $150, which the petitioner must exist prepared to pay on time.

Step 8 – Receive Published Detect

Upon publication, the newspaper will send the petitioner a clipping of the published notice to use as proof of publication. Next, the petitioner will need to submit to the court the original Citation for Publication, a clipping of the published notice, the certified mail return receipt, and the petitioner'southward signature indicating that they mailed and published the notice.

Stride nine – Attend Hearing

While in most cases a hearing will not exist required, the estimate will likely demand i if there are whatever objections to the name alter or if the gauge assigned to the case has reasonable business surrounding the petitioner's chosen name.

Step ten – Gauge Renders Decision

If there is no objection to the petitioner's name change and the judge sees no legal reason to deny it, the judge will grant a decree of change of name. This court order will serve as a proof of proper name change by the private to prove that they have legally inverse their name. A document of this certificate may be requested for a fee of $20.

Commuter'south License

Earlier a resident can update the proper noun recorded on their driver'southward license, they must showtime update their Social Security account. Once this has been accomplished, the individual can update the name on their license by visiting a local driver's license office and presenting the following documentation:

Social security card (with new proper noun)
Court order for name modify/spousal relationship license/divorce prescript
Commuter's License Awarding (filled out, indicating name modify)

The cost of updating a person's name on their license is $25. Once the person has paid the fee, their picture and signature will be taken for their new license. The new driver's license will either be issued onsite or received by mail.

Voter Registration

If a Massachusetts resident legally changes their name, they will need to update their voter registration data in order to vote in elections. Voter information can be updated online (through the voter registration webpage), in person, or by mail. In order to change their registered voter proper name by mail or in person, a resident must fill out and submit the Voter Registration Grade. When filing the registration form, the voter must indicate their proper noun alter on the document and submit it past mitt or mail to their city or town election function, along with a re-create of a photo ID or whatsoever other recognized document that shows the individual'southward electric current proper name and address.

Minor (Kid) Proper noun Change

Parents in Massachusetts are permitted to change the name of their child equally long as the minor is in their legal custody. Anyone under the age of eighteen (18) is considered a minor. In order to legally change their child's name, the parent or legal guardian must file a petition with their county court. If the pocket-sized in question is currently going through Juvenile Court proceedings, the petition must be fabricated with that Juvenile Courtroom. When changing the name of a small-scale, the courtroom volition generally exist more strict than when treatment an adult name alter petition. For case, they will consider the means that the name change could touch on the kid and whether both parents concord to the name change. Although the consent of whatsoever other parent/legal guardian is not required past law, this factor may yet be taken into consideration.

Step 1 – Fill out Change of Proper noun Petition

To brainstorm, the parents or legal guardians of the kid must completely fill out the Petition to Modify Proper name of Minor, indicating that they are making this request on behalf of their child. In order to complete the form, the child's parents or guardians must provide their personal data too every bit that of the child in question. They must also describe the reason for requesting that the child's proper noun be changed. Once all areas of the course take been filled, the parents or guardians must inscribe their signatures in the presence of a notary public. If the child is twelve (12) or older, they must also sign earlier a notary public to betoken their consent to the name change.

Note: Some documents may not display properly in all spider web browsers. In these cases, the forms should instead be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Stride 2 – Fill out Affirmation Disclosing Care or Custody Proceedings

In the Affidavit Disclosing Care or Custody Proceedings, the filer must describe their relationship to the minor and whatever ongoing or recently concluded custody courtroom proceedings. They must also provide the proper name and address of whatever other person who has claimed a legal right to the minor. The principal purpose of this grade is to signal to the court whether the child is involved with other custody proceedings at any other court.

Pace 3 – Complete the Release Request Form (If Applicable)

If the child is twelve (12) years of age or older, the filer must fill out the Court Action Record Information and Warrant Direction Organisation Release Request Class (CJP 34). This document will be given to the court to depict the nature of the legal affair likewise equally provide basic personal information on the filer.

Step 4 – Fill up out Juvenile Courtroom Petition for Name Change (If Applicable)

If the kid is currently being processed in Juvenile Courtroom, the parent(s) must file a Juvenile Court Petition for Name Modifywith that court (instead of the Probate and Family Court). This grade requires a notary acquittance which the father and/or mother can obtain by taking the certificate to a notary public and identifying themselves. Once the notary has identified the parent(s), they will provide their notary acquittance past putting their signature and seal on the 2nd page of the petition. At this juncture, the Juvenile Court Petition for Name Modify tin can exist filed with the Juvenile Court.

Step 5 – Notify the Other Parent

If both parents do non live together, the parent filing the petition must send the other parent a copy of the petition by certified mail with a request for a render receipt upon delivery. Once the document has been delivered, the mail service role will send a light-green card to the filer which must be delivered to the court. In the issue that the other parent's accost is unknown, the petition should exist sent to their last known address. If observe cannot be delivered, the returned envelope should exist filed, unopened, with the courtroom.

Stride 6 – Get together Documents

Next, the filer will need to compile the following documents, equally applicable, to exist filed with their canton probate courtroom:

Petition to Change Name of Minor
Affidavit Disclosing Intendance or Custody
Court Activity Record Information and Warrant Direction System Release Request Grade (if applicative)
Certified re-create of pocket-sized'due south nascency document (obtained from the town or city clerk or the Registry of Vital Statistics)
Certified re-create of adjudication of paternity/voluntary parental acknowledgment (for children built-in outside of wedlock)
Proof of notification for the other parent (evidence of receipt/unopened certified mail service)
Certified copies of any other prior proper noun modify documents (if applicable)
Expiry certificate of deceased parent or guardian (if applicative)

Pace vii – File Proper name Change Petition at the Probate and Family Court

Once the required documents have been nerveless and completed, they must be filed with the Register of Probate of the Probate and Family unit Courtroom in which the petitioner resides.

Step 8 – Pay the Filing Fee

The person filing the petition volition be required to pay a filing fee to the Probate and Family Court. At the fourth dimension of this writing, filing fees are set at $150 with an additional $15 surcharge and, if publication is requested, a $15 fee for the Citation of Publication. If the petitioner cannot pay these fees, they may file an Affidavit of Indigency with the court in an endeavor to have them waived (this webpage provides more information on the bailiwick).

Step 9 – Publish Notice of Name Change

If 1 (1) of the parents has non been given discover of the proper name change and/or has not given their consent, a discover of the minor'southward proper noun modify must exist published in a local newspaper (unless the guess deems it unnecessary). The Citation of Publication, which will exist given to the filer, will directly them as to where, when, and how they must publish the notice of name change.

Footstep 10 – Pay Publication Fee

After submitting a find of name change for publication, the filer volition receive a publication invoice from the paper which must be paid earlier the petition tin can keep to a court hearing.

Step 11 – Receive Published Observe

Upon publication, the filer will obtain the published notice of name change to exist submitted to the court as proof of publication. This certificate, forth with the original Commendation of Publication and the return receipt postcard, must be filed with the courtroom.

Step 12 – Nourish Hearing

If the filer's attendance is required at the court hearing for their petition, they will be given detect of the court date by the Probate and Family Court. The judge will review the petition and take into account whether or not all parents and/or legal guardians have given their consent. Ultimately, the judge will make the decision based on the minor's best involvement.

Step thirteen – Judge Renders Decision

If the guess approves the petition, they will issue a document of the new name to the parent to use as a sit-in of proof that the child'south proper name has been legally changed.

Source: https://eforms.com/name-change/ma/

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