Name change forms

[lokis_whispers]

I'm getting my name changed here in Alabama, and apparently I'm a real idiot when it comes to filling out forms, because there are some parts of the form I don't understand. They gave me three different papers. I understand the first one just fine; it's the common "What's your name, residence, etc?", but the other two make absolutely NO sense to me

Comments

[tntransguy]

That looks like that would be something for the judge/court official to fill out, but you might want to ask them about it.

[lokis_whispers]

Ah, okay. I don't see why they had to give the forms for the judge to sign to me though, rather than just keeping them until the court date.

[gonzaloguerrero]

The second form is a notary public form which you have to have sign in front of a notary public and have them complete the rest. The third is the order that the court will execute upon approval of the name change. You are the petitioner. Insert your current name in the first and second blank and your chosen name in the third.

[lokis_whispers]

What is a notary public? I should probably know all this, but when I asked the clerk about the name change, she just shoved the papers in my face and went back to her phone call :(

[gonzaloguerrero]

google

[west_nile_virus]

Basically someone who stamps stuff for you to make it all legal and snazzy. You might have to ask around to find one.

[studly_tgod]

I know in California when I did the whole name/gender change (June 24, 2005), the county clerk who I went to file with & schedule the court date with was very helpful with the forms. I had done some things wrong, so it was helpful to have a couple extra forms on hand.

[lokis_whispers]

Hopefully when I go back up there, there will be a different clerk to help me, because the one I spoke to was pretty rude and didn't help me at all.

[transethan]

because you said alabama, i had to check out where exactly in alabama--and it turns out you're in the city where i'm from, although i currently live in west alabama, tuscaloosa county.

it wasn't too difficult for me to change my name here. madison county shouldn't be that different. talk to the person you got the forms from and ask her to explain them to you. workers in the courthouse are notoriously snotty and impatient, as far as i've observed, so just wait there patiently and persistently until the phone call ends or whatever. this is their job. they deal with people changing their names all the time. don't be afraid to ask what YOU fill out and what THEY fill out. i filled out everything in the office and got back in line.

the wording of these things is really confusing and old school, but our state has a constitution it hasn't rewritten since 1901, so what do you expect? heh. good luck!

ethan

[transethan]

i'm guessing you meant to reply to the OP and not me--might want to fix that so he gets the message?

[lokis_whispers]

Ack, I completely forgot about my driver's license! I sliced it in half during a freak art accident. (I was hoping my birth certificate would be sufficient...)

[icyspook]

right: that first one you dont fill out, the notary will. the second one (the decree confirming.. one) it has three blanks. you put your birth name in the first two and your new name in the last one.