Name Changes

Las Vegas Name Changes Attorney

Petitioning the Court for a name change is a right available to anyone. Well, almost anyone. Felony conviction bars most name change requests.

To get the process started a petition is filed that states the persons current legal name, the name they desire, and provides an adequate reason for the change. 

People most commonly pursue a legal name change in situations such as marriage, divorce, or changes in custody for minors. People also seek to change their names for aesthetic reasons.

Requirements for Name Change

The most interesting requirement for a name change is the publication of notice. This must be done once a week for three weeks. Some situations allow this to be waived, for example names of children by default should not be published. If nobody objects to the name change within 10 days of the final publication, it can be granted by the Court. 

The purpose of the published notice is to give entities the chance to object to the change for whatever reason. Typically, a name changed to be too similar to another within a field or business may be rejected. A name changed to avoid debt or prosecution will not be granted and is moot, as aliases are recorded as a matter of course by the Court. 

For most people the name change is recorded with the State Registrar of Vital Statistics. 

Felony conviction, as mentioned before, doesn’t automatically negate a change of name petition. However, if the name change is granted the change must be recorded with the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History for purpose of law enforcement tracking. 

Reasons to Change Name

Most name changes happen within the context of a marriage or divorce. Customary changes to name through the marriage license circumvent the notification and publication period for a name change. Notification for changes back to a maiden or unmarried name may be waived if there is a potential danger to the spouse from domestic abuse or threats. 

One place that people often face difficulty with a name change after a divorce is with professional certifications and background checks. For teachers this can cause annoying delays in paperwork acceptance when applying for positions. 

Legal Assistance

Seeking help with a name change is a good way to complete the process simply without fear of complications. While a name change may seem a formality to you, the state and government have a vested interest in keeping track of identity for census records and your own protection in the case of identity theft. 

Reach out to us at 702-706-3323 to take care of your name change quickly.