Change my last name in New York state...?

Question:I was wondering if I could legally change my last name in the state of NY & if so, how I would go about it. I want to change my last name to my mother's maiden name. I really don't have a serious reason though- I just want to because I've always kind of disliked my dad's side of the family and my last name itself. I've heard though that I would have to appear before a court & give a good reason (like divorce, marriage, or because of a stepparent, etc). So I'm not sure they would allow me to. And how would I go about trying to do this anyway? Thanks!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I was wondering if I could legally change my last name in the state of NY & if so, how I would go about it. I want to change my last name to my mother's maiden name. I really don't have a serious reason though- I just want to because I've always kind of disliked my dad's side of the family and my last name itself. I've heard though that I would have to appear before a court & give a good reason (like divorce, marriage, or because of a stepparent, etc). So I'm not sure they would allow me to. And how would I go about trying to do this anyway? Thanks!

You have a perfectly legitimate reason. When you're trying to change it to another family name, the court is pretty accepting of that.

The process is also pretty easy. You have to pick up a packet of papers from the Clerk of the Court for the county where you live. You fill out the forms, usually including a certified copy of your birth certificate, and you submit them to the court. At the same time, you have to take out a notice in the classifieds in the largest newspaper in your county announcing the intent to change. The court will require copies of the notices. Once you meet all the prerequisites, they'll give you a court date. The whole thing usually only takes minutes, unless someone shows up to contest it (have never heard of that actually happening).

Part of the paperwork will be an order for the judge to sign. Once it is signed, it gets sent to the Secretary of State and your birth certificate is amended. Then you take the amended birth certificate and the judge's order to the nearest Social Security Administration office and have your SSN records amended. After that, your next stop is the Secretary of State's office to have your driver's license changed (it's a separate step from amending your birth certificate).

After that, it's simply a matter of using your new SS card and driver's license to have your creditors and schools change your name on their records.

The process isn't hard, and really not terribly expensive. If it's something you really feel strongly about, then go for it. Otherwise, get married and take your new spouse's last name (even if you're a man) and you don't have to do the whole court appearance and public notice part...and the record changes are only a couple of dollars at that point.