Changing an individual’s name for any reason other than marriage or divorce will be accomplished through the submission of a written petition to a local Circuit County Clerk. Generally, this is done without much questioning by the judge, but a court appearance may be required.
Name changes after marriage or divorce are rather simple since you are provided the opportunity to do so when you are signing the licensing documents (marriage) or divorce proceedings. It simply requires you to use the documentation of your marriage or divorce to update your identification documents (Driver’s License, Social Security, etc).
In the case of changing the name of a child (minor), both parents must agree to the change before the courts will review the request. Changing the name of a child does not change any legal responsibilities of the parents. For example, a parent who is paying child support must continue to do so.
After a person has officially changed their name, they should update the information currently on record with the Social Security Office and other government agencies to reflect the alteration to their name.
