Changing Your Name in Bucks County, PA
What’s in a name change? Our family law practice can help you learn the ropes. For instance, Kardashian fan or not, you’ve probably heard the question that Bruce Jenner finally worked up the courage to ask the world this week:
“Call Me Caitlyn.”
After 65 years of feeling as though she was living a lie and months of public speculation, Caitlyn has revealed her true identity as a female. Taking to twitter, she told her fans, “I’m so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world, Caitlyn. Can’t wait for you to get to know her/me.”
Caitlyn is one of the first major celebrities to come out as transgender-as if the Olympic gold medalist wasn’t iconic enough already.
It took only a few weeks from the time Caitlyn came out as a female in a 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer on April 24 to when a Vanity Fair cover revealed her new name. But for those of us who aren’t A-list celebrities, it’s not as simple as scoring a magazine feature and simply asking the world, “Call me [blank].” After years of what may likely involve emotional struggle, hormone treatments and surgeries, you might assume that having your name changed would be the easiest part about changing your entire identity. But there are specific steps that must be taken to legally adopt a new name.
The legal process for changing your name, for any reason other than re-adopting your maiden name[1], usually takes about four months in Bucks County. Our family law practice can help you navigate this process. The first step is obtaining a petition, along with a set of finger prints prepared by a police department representative (only certain police stations provide this service), and submitting it to the Prothonotary’s Office in the Courthouse. You must also pay the filing fee for a name change, the cost of which is $262.75 in Bucks County.
From there, your hearing date will be set at least 45 days in advance. This allows time for you to have your petition printed in two publications-most commonly the Daily Intelligencer and the Bucks County Law Reporter (unfortunately Vanity Fair does not count)- which costs an additional $300, approximately. Signed certifications of a name search from the Prothonotary’s Office, Clerk of Courts and the Recorder of Deeds are also required. These conditions must be met, along with others, before your hearing is held.
You’re probably thinking, “What did I just read?” If it sounds a bit confusing, don’t be discouraged. That’s normal. While the process is tedious, we promise it is completely manageable, especially with our help. Elissa C. Goldberg has experience in name changes of all types and can provide counsel each step of the way, making your transition as smooth as possible.
We can’t promise you a magazine cover or a 20/20 special, but we can guarantee a name change that suits who you really are. After all, life is too short to be anyone but yourself.
Posted by Juliette
[1] The exception is if you are re-adopting your maiden name, which is a much faster, easier and less expensive process.