Changing My Last Name

[babycakeJR]

I have a father that is not that great of a person. I have his last name and I want to change it. I put up with him when I was little for years but now im older and I don't want to. I have stood up to him because i'm now thirteen. So now I want to get my last name changed. I didn't tell anyone in my family that I want to do this because I want to be independent and do it on my own. I don't know how much it costs and I don't know the first thing about changing my name. I need help to get this done. If you can help and have information or links on this name changing subject please post it and let me know. Thank you for your time, help, and support.

[CourtClerk]

You're not going to get any support because this isn't a support group.

No one can help you with anything because you chose to delete the statement about which state you were in,

however, regardless of the state, children can't summarily change their name without parental consent. However, if you want to be "independent," changing your name isn't how you do it. You do that by getting a job (good luck with that at 13), finding your own apartment (good luck with that at 13), paying your own electricity (good luck with that), water, gas, medical and dental insurance, your own food, hygeine, internet access, clothing and the rest of the stuff (good luck with all of that).

[mamabear2102003]

You can use a search engine to look up your states name change law. In many states this will require public posting (newspaper) and notification of your parents (even if mom helps with this, dad will be notified, and he will have the opportunity to object to any change). You don't have any legal right, at the age of 13 to do anything on your own, or assert any type of independence in the legal arena. Standing up to dad isn't going to get you very far.

For the record, changing your name doesn't change who you are, nor your parentage.

[cyjeff]

For the record, changing your name doesn't change who you are, nor your parentage.

After all, Woody Harrelson kept his father's last name and it didn't seem to hurt him much....

google "Charles Harrelson".

A name is a label. It is YOUR job to figure out what is inside the package.

[babycakeJR]

Thanks that really opened my eyes. I still want to change my last name but I realize that people should look at the person not their name. I wouldn't judge a person expecially not by their name.