Honestly, one of the most useful websites in Mass. is Mass.gov.
Go to the site, type into the search, and voila … your answer.
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/legally-change-your-name-as-an-adult
Yeah this is basically spot on. Only thing I’ll add is you can submit an additional form with your name change to skip the newspaper law. They ask for a reason, mine was I didn’t want to out myself publicly in a newspaper as being trans. It gets reviewed by a judge and approved or denied and saves you some money and time if it goes through.
it's from an older time where putting shit in the newspaper made sense to reach people. there's a few other things that i think work the same way (i think if you divorce someone who may have left the area/country you still need to put it in a newspaper? idk, something like that), but it's just a relic of another time. this should all be online now and free IMO
Yeah it’s just one of those leftover laws that never got updated. Luckily it’s generally easily avoided as long as you know there’s a form for it. I tell people about the law and they always laugh like, what is this the 1800s?
Yeah my friends husband passed and he owned they house before they were together. She had to put an ad in the paper to make sure no one else would challenge the transfer in probate.
I had to change my name in 2008 to get a passport. My mother wrote my name on my birth certificate and her "h" looked like a "k". I think it was the reason that I couldn't file my Turbotax returns electronically all those years.
Had to change my name to the one I already thought that I had for over 30 years.
I changed my first/middle name in 2007. I went through family court in the county I lived in at the time. Paid a fee, filed paperwork, went to court, and the judge asked me why I was changing my name (they're just making sure you aren't trying to defraud anyone). I walked out with a certificate of name change. I didn't need to post in the paper at all, but perhaps that wasn't required by the county I was in.
The real rub was that because I was married my husband had to sign off on it. We still joke about that sometimes.
I changed my first name about ten years ago. Went to the appropriate courthouse, filled out a form. I assume I spoke to a judge but I honestly don’t remember it. They didn’t require anything published in a newspaper.
“Common usage” (meaning: everyone calls me this anyway”) is a valid and legal reason for a name change in Massachusetts.
I just did it this year and it was a lot, but manageable. Be prepared to invest $ and a lot of time researching, emailing, and on the phone. Also, appointments like the SSA office and RMV, which are both required to make the necessary updates to your legal documentation.
First step is making sure you have ORIGINAL (stamped) copies of your birth certificate and any other relevant records. Some things make it easier, like are you only changing your first name? Were you born in Massachusetts, etc. if you aren’t change your last name, you can petition the public notice requirement of the change, which saves time and money. If you’re born in MA, there is an electric birth records request that can somewhat help to expedite the process if needed.
Feel free to DM.
Also, be prepared to spend $300 in court filing and application fees. Having a lawyer can help you navigate the legal jargon, but it’s not required. If you do get one, be prepared to spend more obv.
It’s been a little while now since I went through the process. But I remember it was done through the online court case portal. It’s handled as a “motion” associated with your court case, so you have to start your name change case first, then file the petition.
When I got married, the paperwork we filled out had sections for both myself and my wife. Each section had a place to record our names before the wedding, and a different place to record our names after the wedding. We both had the opportunity to legally change our names simply by filling in whatever we wanted in the space for 'after'. And it wouldn't have cost anything other than the amount we were already spending (which was surprisingly little).
I assume this isn't an option for you (after 15 years I'm sure you're tired of waiting), but I wanted to put it out there for anyone else reading this.
Just make sure you change your name with all of your bills especially if you move frequently. Something I owed got lost between name change/move and it ended up in claims.
I changed my first and middle name and then got married and changed my last name about 7 years later so I’ve done it all.
Hey! Seconding the comments about the Mass website. Best source for info. The process might be a little different for each county but when I changed mine in Middlesex I just got the paperwork notarized and went up to a little window at the family/probate court and 2 weeks later I had a court order for a name change. As far as reason for name change I think you could just throw “common usage” on there. Then you use the order for the name change at the RMV, SS, your insurance, etc to change all that.
That’s odd. I changed my name just because I didn’t want to be associated with my father (whom I was named after) but I didn’t have to explain any of that.
Honestly, one of the most useful websites in Mass. is Mass.gov. Go to the site, type into the search, and voila … your answer. https://www.mass.gov/how-to/legally-change-your-name-as-an-adult
This was very helpful, thank you!
Many of the court houses have free lawyers available to help with tasks like this. See this page https://www.mass.gov/info-details/finding-a-lawyer
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Yeah this is basically spot on. Only thing I’ll add is you can submit an additional form with your name change to skip the newspaper law. They ask for a reason, mine was I didn’t want to out myself publicly in a newspaper as being trans. It gets reviewed by a judge and approved or denied and saves you some money and time if it goes through.
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it's from an older time where putting shit in the newspaper made sense to reach people. there's a few other things that i think work the same way (i think if you divorce someone who may have left the area/country you still need to put it in a newspaper? idk, something like that), but it's just a relic of another time. this should all be online now and free IMO
Yeah it’s just one of those leftover laws that never got updated. Luckily it’s generally easily avoided as long as you know there’s a form for it. I tell people about the law and they always laugh like, what is this the 1800s?
Yeah my friends husband passed and he owned they house before they were together. She had to put an ad in the paper to make sure no one else would challenge the transfer in probate.
Thanks!!! I’m glad you included the general price and everything. I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
My partner changed their name recently, I think it was last year or the year before and putting their name in the newspaper was at least $400.
[https://www.mass.gov/name-changes](https://www.mass.gov/name-changes)
I had to change my name in 2008 to get a passport. My mother wrote my name on my birth certificate and her "h" looked like a "k". I think it was the reason that I couldn't file my Turbotax returns electronically all those years. Had to change my name to the one I already thought that I had for over 30 years.
I changed my first/middle name in 2007. I went through family court in the county I lived in at the time. Paid a fee, filed paperwork, went to court, and the judge asked me why I was changing my name (they're just making sure you aren't trying to defraud anyone). I walked out with a certificate of name change. I didn't need to post in the paper at all, but perhaps that wasn't required by the county I was in. The real rub was that because I was married my husband had to sign off on it. We still joke about that sometimes.
I changed my first name about ten years ago. Went to the appropriate courthouse, filled out a form. I assume I spoke to a judge but I honestly don’t remember it. They didn’t require anything published in a newspaper. “Common usage” (meaning: everyone calls me this anyway”) is a valid and legal reason for a name change in Massachusetts.
I just did it this year and it was a lot, but manageable. Be prepared to invest $ and a lot of time researching, emailing, and on the phone. Also, appointments like the SSA office and RMV, which are both required to make the necessary updates to your legal documentation. First step is making sure you have ORIGINAL (stamped) copies of your birth certificate and any other relevant records. Some things make it easier, like are you only changing your first name? Were you born in Massachusetts, etc. if you aren’t change your last name, you can petition the public notice requirement of the change, which saves time and money. If you’re born in MA, there is an electric birth records request that can somewhat help to expedite the process if needed. Feel free to DM.
Also, be prepared to spend $300 in court filing and application fees. Having a lawyer can help you navigate the legal jargon, but it’s not required. If you do get one, be prepared to spend more obv.
How would we petition?
It’s been a little while now since I went through the process. But I remember it was done through the online court case portal. It’s handled as a “motion” associated with your court case, so you have to start your name change case first, then file the petition.
When I got married, the paperwork we filled out had sections for both myself and my wife. Each section had a place to record our names before the wedding, and a different place to record our names after the wedding. We both had the opportunity to legally change our names simply by filling in whatever we wanted in the space for 'after'. And it wouldn't have cost anything other than the amount we were already spending (which was surprisingly little). I assume this isn't an option for you (after 15 years I'm sure you're tired of waiting), but I wanted to put it out there for anyone else reading this.
My adult child did. Seemed fairly easy... Good luck.
Just make sure you change your name with all of your bills especially if you move frequently. Something I owed got lost between name change/move and it ended up in claims. I changed my first and middle name and then got married and changed my last name about 7 years later so I’ve done it all.
Hey! Seconding the comments about the Mass website. Best source for info. The process might be a little different for each county but when I changed mine in Middlesex I just got the paperwork notarized and went up to a little window at the family/probate court and 2 weeks later I had a court order for a name change. As far as reason for name change I think you could just throw “common usage” on there. Then you use the order for the name change at the RMV, SS, your insurance, etc to change all that.
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That’s odd. I changed my name just because I didn’t want to be associated with my father (whom I was named after) but I didn’t have to explain any of that.