We regularly provide document drafting assistance to parents seeking legal name changes for a minor in Los Angeles or throughout Southern California.
Recently we assisted a mother in changing the name of her minor son after she got remarried. The natural father is nowhere to be found. A while back he gave full custody to the mother in writing, and even notarized a statement saying he didn’t object to her changing the name of the minor in the future.
Interestingly enough, there is a similarity between a divorce with a missing spouse and a name change with a missing parent, and that is the service by publication.
She will have to publish the Order to Show Cause for the name change in the county where she lives, and also in the county where the father last lived. She will have to demonstrate to the court that she could not locate the parent with a declaration and get a court order authorizing publication.
She can file for a waiver if the last known address was in the same county, outside California, or there has been no contact with the child for a significant amount of time.
We hope this helped you better understand the process of changing a minor’s legal name in Los Angeles.
The information contained in this blog – including information of a legal nature – is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.
The Document People is a network of independently owned stores that share a common purpose: helping customers represent themselves. We are looking forward assisting you name changes for a minor. We serve Woodland Hills, Santa Monica, The San Fernando Valley, Torrance, Orange County and San Diego County.
The information contained in this blog – including information of a legal nature – is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.