Sometimes you just don’t care for your given name. And in those cases, your name can be changed with a one-time Court appearance.

A Petition For Name Change is required as well as a Court Order.

Under oath, in front of the Judge, your attorney will ask you some questions regarding your desire to change your name and will insure you are not doing so to avoid debts or crimes. So long as the Judge approves your Petition in Wilson County, Smith County or Macon County, your name can be legally changed.

After Court you will receive a Certified Copy of your Order of Name Change. This document can then be delivered to the State to change your birth certificate, change your driver’s license and change any other documents or licenses that reflect your name.

If you are the custodial parent of a child, and choose to change your child’s name, that also can be accomplished with a Petition. In some cases, depending on the circumstances of your case, the Court may even allow you to change the last name of your child, without an adoption of that child by another parent. 

Finally, often during a divorce a spouse will want to return to a former name. This can either be accomplished in the Final Decree of Divorce, at the time of the divorce, or later down the road. Your spouse can not legally stop you from taking your previous name back, nor can he force you to give up his name.