Although the process is likely to produce a lot of inconveniences and hassles, many still tend to change their names for some reasons. Apparently, everyone is entitled by the law to have the power of changing their legal names at the right and legal age. If minors are the subject of name change, there must be a legal consent from both parents for the process to proceed.
Changing your name entails a lot of time, effort, and money. Generally, the price to change name is very much to produce hassle alone since you need quite a ton of hundred dollars for the process to succeed. Note that the costs are highly dependent on the location where you are from and where you are processing the name change.
Every state and county has its own processes, rules, and regulations which apparently affect largely the variations of price. There are no fees and charges that apply the same for every state and region. If you are already decided to have your name change legally, contact your state county or the county clerk’s office for a more detailed and specific information regarding the matter.
Average Cost of Changing Your Name
In actuality, knowing how much does it cost to change your name means familiarizing yourself as well with the whole process of name changing since every step of the process is likely to require you fees and charges. In addition, aside from the state to state and processing factors, the time is relevant as well in computing the total costs of changing your name.
Assuming you are to process the name change personally without hiring any legal services and / or lawyers, expect to pay $150 up to $500 for obtaining a court order. This will be actually the largest expense you have to be prepared for.
While obtaining a court order is pretty much the largest single factor to affect your budget in the process, the processing and filing of applications and forms may dramatically increase as well your overall budget.
In addition, once you obtain the court order legally, that means you are to process different documents as well to consequently change your name in your legal documents such as valid identification cards, birth certificates, and the like.
Application Forms
The very initial step to process your name changing is to get and fill out application forms. In some states and areas, application forms are free of charges. However, there are certain locations that may require you to pay $1 to $2 per application form.
These are usually the Petition for Name Change forms, Order of Name Change forms, and / or Affidavit of Name Change.
Filing Your Application
Now, these court documents alongside the necessary forms and requirements must be filed to your County Courthouse where the forms are usually purchased or obtained primarily. There are specific fees for each document to be filed for the process to be in motion.
On an average basis, filing fees are usually rated at $25 per document or form.
Copies of Court Order
As mentioned above, obtaining your court order is the most expensive part of your name changing process. The issued court order is very much essential in changing all your recurring records and legal documents, as such, you wll need copies.
A copy of the issued court order of name change costs $15 to $20 each. Moreover, you need to request formally for each official copy you need.
Legal Documents
The official copies of the issued court order are to be used for the purpose of changing your name in your specific legal and important documents. Changing your name officially in these legal documents is likely to require you payments and fees.
Again, the prices vary from state to state and may depend as well on how fast you want it to be done.
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Passport
The price to change name in a passport is relatively reliant on the date it was issued. If the passport was issued less than a year ago, there are no required fees. Not unless you want or need your new passport as soon as possible which may cost you around $50 to $60 for rush shipping services.
On the other hand, if your passport was issued more than a year ago, expect to pay fees starting at $10 to process the documents and photos. If you want it to be delivered soon, the same rates apply.
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Birth Certificate
Aside from the official copy of the issued court order, you need to pay $20 to $25 for the processing of name change in your birth certificate. The range of costs varies by state and location. If you are to request additional copies of the name-changed birth certificate which are stamped with the state seal, you have to prepare $12 to $20 for each copy.
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Driver’s License
Generally for a driver’s license, the name change cost ranges from free of charges up to the amount of the renewal fee. Although the price may not exceed $50, still, the overall hassle for changing your name in your driver’s license is in the processing of requirements and queueing of lines.
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Social Security Card
The Social Security Administration charges no fees at all apparently for the application of name change in your social security card. However, you have to exert effort and time in processing the requirements and documents.
While there are a lot of online and non-virtual services that will help you with the process which will enable you to save more time and effort, you are likely to pay amounts starting from $30 for the overall service of changing your name in your social security card.
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Credit Cards, Bank Accounts, Insurance Policies, and Others
Once you have successfully obtained the issued court order, meaning, your changed name, you have to inform as well your banks and other essential sectors and make the necessary actions to officially change your name in these accounts.
These sectors actually require only an official copy of the issued court order and other necessary documents. Most of the time they do not require you to pay fees and charges unless regarded otherwise by them personally.
Legal Services and Lawyers
The general basis on how much does it cost to change your name differs largely when you hire legal services and lawyers to do the whole process. Although it may save you from different stresses, hassles, and inconveniences, it will likely require you to pay finer and larger flat fees.
These legal services have different package offers and services for you to choose from. The prices vary largely on these packages. There are some of these packages that will only include the application, filing, and obtaining the court order. While other packages may include as well the services of changing your name in your different legal documents which may cost you much expensive rates.
If you are to hire freelance lawyers instead of legal services or instead of personally doing it all on your own, expect as well to pay flat fees or a few hundreds of dollars which are usually rated on an hourly basis.