Omaha Name Change Attorney
Changing one’s name is a significant event. Whether the change happens because of a marriage, divorce, lifestyle change, emancipation, or something else, altering your name can have a significant effect on your sense of self. Many people have to spend time adjusting to and settling into their new moniker before it feels natural.
Emotional changes are not the only adjustments you make when you change your name. There are many legal steps that you must follow to properly change your name in the eyes of the government. It is important that you follow the correct steps to make a legal name change, or it could have disastrous results.
Fortunately, our team of attorneys is here to help you with the legal name change process. With our help, you can understand the name change process and take the correct steps to make the change permanent and legally binding.
Stange Law Firm: Your Attorneys for a Nebraska Legal Name Change
Our team of attorneys has been working in family law and divorce for many years. In these fields, we have walked many clients through the legal name change process. Because of our experience, we can answer all questions about the application, instructions, limitations, and requirements of changing your name in Nebraska. We are also here to help represent you in any other family law or divorce matters for which you need legal counsel.
We are passionate about providing high-quality legal resources for the people of Nebraska. We take our time to ensure that you understand every aspect of your legal documents and feel empowered to make informed decisions surrounding your name change. We are here to support you through every step, from the initial petition to the court process and even for passport and license updates.
No one should have to go through the complicated process of legally changing their name without support from a legal professional. Our team is here to help you with this process and represent you if any issues or challenges arise.
What Is the Legal Name Change Process in Nebraska?
Every state has different requirements for the legal name change process, which can make it difficult to do research online. Nebraska’s process is very involved and requires you to fill out several documents on a strict timeline. You must pay very close attention to deadlines, or you may need to begin again.
Any adult can petition to have their name changed at any time. You do not need a life event like a marriage to change your name.
Preparing for Court
The first step to changing your name is to file Forms DC 6:9.1, or Petition for Name Change, and DC 6:9.4, or Confidential Party Information—Adult Name Change, with the district county clerk. You must file these forms in the district that you live in.
Although there are online instructions for these forms, they can still be complicated and confusing. It is imperative that all the information be accurate and correct, or your petition could be stalled or even rejected by the courts. The best way to navigate these forms is by hiring an attorney to help you fill them out accurately and completely.
Legal Notice of Name Change
After you have filed for a name change, you need to set a hearing date. The county clerk can tell you who to contact to set up the hearing in your county. Once you have set a date, you need to give notice in a public newspaper or general circulation in your county that you are changing your name, which is done with Form DC 6:9.2, or a Legal Notice. This notice must be published once per week for the four weeks prior to the hearing. For this reason, you usually cannot schedule your hearing less than six weeks after you schedule it, to give you time to file your public notice.
In some situations, notifying the newspaper can be waived by the county clerk. If you wish to waive this step, you must submit a Petitioner’s Showing and Request for Waiver of Publication with the county clerk at the same time as your Petition for Name Change form. Usually, the Legal Notice requirement can only be waived if the applicant would be in danger because of their name change being published in the newspaper. You must provide documented evidence with your request for the waiver to be considered.
Notifying Others
Within 5 days of the first publication of your Legal Notice, you must mail a copy to all parties that would have a legal interest in the matter. You must use their last known addresses to show that you have made every effort to inform those who would be legally affected by your name change.
To prove that you have done this, you must file Form DC 6:6.8a, or the Affidavit of Mailing Published Notice, with the court. This form requires notarization, as you are swearing that you mailed the newspaper notice to interested parties. You must file it within 10 days after you mail the newspaper copies to interested parties. If you do not file this form, the court will not hear your case even if you have a court date scheduled.
Your Hearing
Your name will not be officially changed until your hearing occurs. Before you can go to your hearing, you must prepare Form DC 6:9.3, or the Decree of Name Change, and bring two copies of it to your court date. You must also prepare a testimony for your court hearing.
When you are preparing for the hearing, you must also contact the county clerk to ensure that the newspaper filed an affidavit declaring that they published your notice once per week for four weeks. The weeks must be consecutive.
When you attend your hearing, you will be asked to go under oath and testify about any issues in your Petition for Name Change. The court will ask questions and ensure that your name change is legitimate and legal. If the court approves your name change, a judge will sign the Decree of Name Change. You can obtain a certified copy of your Decree of Name Change from the county clerk after your hearing. This certified copy will be necessary to change your legal name on your license and social security documents.
Why Do I Need a Nebraska Name Change Attorney?
There are many steps to legally changing your name, and it is easy to make mistakes with the paperwork, timeline, and court requirements. If you try to navigate this process on your own, you are likely to encounter roadblocks. As noted, the timeline for this process is very strict, and there is very little time to resolve issues without professional help.
Our attorneys understand how to manage the timeline, deadlines, and requirements. We have gone through the entire process with our clients many times. We can advise you on all steps and ensure that you stay on track through the process.
It is also important to note that the county clerk cannot help you fill out the forms or advise you on their contents, as there is a conflict of interest with the court. Although they may be able to answer simple questions when you pick up your forms, they are not available to help you throughout the process. Without an attorney, you are left with information from the internet, which can be inaccurate and unreliable. Your absolute best chance of getting your name change approved is by hiring a qualified attorney to help you.
Other Name Change Requirements
When you change your name with the state, nothing automatically happens outside of the state and federal systems. You are responsible for updating your name on your driver’s license, passport, and with the Social Security Administration. All these processes require their own paperwork, fees, and processes on top of the extensive process to change your name through the state.
You can run into issues if you do not change your name on your passport, driver’s license, and social security card. If there are discrepancies between your legal name and your name on your documents, you may encounter problems when flying, buying alcohol, driving, paying taxes, and more. Your name is involved in many of your daily processes. Therefore, it is important that your legal name is properly displayed on your documents.
The Cost of Changing Your Name
It is important to understand that there is a cost associated with changing your name. Filing some of the court documents may require a fee to be paid. You will also need to pay for the newspaper announcement as well as a new license and passport. Fortunately, changing your name with the Social Security Administration is generally free of charge. It is important to be prepared for these fees before you begin the name change process.
Although an attorney will cost additional funds, they can help speed the process by ensuring that you have filled out the forms correctly. This ensures that you do not waste money by filing forms that will get rejected, requiring you to refile and repay the fee.
All attorneys charge differently for their services. Some charge a flat fee for name changes, while others charge by the hour. Be sure you discuss fees with any potential attorneys before you hire them. This ensures that you know what to expect and can prepare for the financial burden of the name change process.
FAQs
Q: How Do I Change My Name in Omaha, NE?
A: The process to change your name in Omaha is very complicated, and there are many steps involved. You need to:
- Petition the court.
- Announce your name change.
- Send notices to interested parties.
- Swear that you have alerted interested parties.
- Appear in court with specific paperwork.
The best way to ensure that you do all this correctly is to hire a Nebraska name change attorney to assist you with the process.
Q: What Is the Easiest Way to Change Your Name?
A: The easiest way to change your name in Nebraska is through marriage. If you are doing the process separately from your marriage, you will need to go through a lengthy process to properly change your name. You must file your name change in your county of residence, provided that you have lived there for at least a year.
Q: How Do I Change My Name After Marriage in Omaha, NE?
A: After you get married in Omaha, you can bring your certified marriage license with your new name to the required offices. For example, the department of motor vehicles should be able to change your name on your license if you present your certified marriage license. You can obtain a certified copy of your marriage license through the county clerk in the county where you got married.
Q: How Much Does a Name Change Cost in Nebraska?
A: The exact cost depends on your attorney fees and a few other factors. Usually, the filing costs with the court are around $125. This does not include the cost to get a new driver’s license, passport, and social security card. You should be prepared for all costs associated with your name change before you begin the process, or you risk losing your fees and having to pay again.
Contact Stange Law Firm
Although it is not legally required that you have an attorney help you with your name change process, it is extremely helpful for you to do so. Many people have a difficult time changing their names in Nebraska because of the complicated process and strict rules. However, this should not deter you from going through the process. Many people benefit personally and emotionally from a name that reflects their current phase of life. You simply need an attorney to help you.
Our team at Stange Law Firm is ready to guide you through the name change process. Our years of experience in this field can help make the process as painless as possible. Contact Stange Law Firm online today for more information.
Douglas County (Omaha), Nebraska Office (402-509-1801): 9202 W. Dodge Rd., Suite 302, Omaha, Nebraska 68114
