VERIFIED PETITION FOR NAME CHANGE

General Instructions

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PLEASE READ FIRST:  It is very important for you to know that when you sign a Court document, you may be helping or hurting your case.  Before you sign any Court document or get involved with a Court case, it is important that you see a lawyer to make sure you are doing the right thing.  Although there are risks in self-representation, should you choose to represent yourself you must be prepared.  Although these forms have been prepared to help you represent yourself, you should know that certain Courts have their own procedures and may not accept every form. You may represent yourself in court, but you will have to abide by the appropriate court rules, Indiana Rules of Evidence, Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure, and any local rules. For additional information, you may refer to the Indiana Self-Service Legal Center that can be found at www.in.gov/judiciary/selfservice/index.html. For legal advice about your case, you should get in touch with a lawyer.

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Step 1:       Who should use this packet

 

You should use these forms if:

1.                  You would like to change your name;

2.                  You are not in jail or prison;

3.                  You are over eighteen (18) years of age;

4.                  You have not been convicted of a felony in the last ten (10) years; and

5.                  You are not trying to avoid creditors.                

 

Step 2:       What this packet contains

 

This packet contains forms for you to fill out and take to the Clerk of the Court if you want your name changed. There are six forms in this packet. This packet also contains instructions.

 

Step 3:       Which forms to fill out

 

You must fill out all six forms.

1.      Appearance form

2. Verified Petition for Change of Name
3. Notice of Filing Proof of Publication and Request for Hearing
4. Affidavit of Publication
5. Notice of Hearing
6. Order on Verified Petition for Change of Name

 

Step 4:       How to File These Forms

 

1.      Follow the instructions attached to each form to fill it out. You will need to type or print neatly in black ink. Do not print on the back or sides of the forms, print only in the blanks provided.  

 

2.      Before filing these forms, check with your local Clerk to find out in which Court you must file for your name change and to find out the number of copies you must provide.  Prepare the required number of copies of each of the forms that you have filled out. 

 

3.      Take the originals and the copies of the Appearance and the Verified Petition for Change of Name to the proper Court Clerk in the county where you live. The clerk will file stamp the forms, keep the originals and necessary copies, and hand back the rest of the copies to you.

 

4.      The fee exceeds $100. Contact your local county Clerk’s office for exact details. The Clerk will instruct you where to pay the filing fee. Be advised that most Courts will not waive this fee.

 

5.      Contact a newspaper in the county where you live and make arrangements to publish a legal notice of your change of name. Give a copy of the forms you filed with the Clerk to this newspaper. The notice must be published once a week for three weeks. Newspapers generally charge around $100.00 to publish this notice. Keep track of the notices when they are published. Keep a copy of the newspaper every time your notice appears in them. Fill out the Affidavit of Publication with the dates your notice was published. Take the Affidavit of Publication (Form 4) to the newspaper and ask them to verify publication. They will need to sign this document. Some will prepare a Notice of Publication for you to give to the Court.

 

6.      You MUST WAIT thirty (30) days after the last date of publication before you file proof with the Court. Take the originals and copies of the Notice of Filing Proof of Publication and Request for Hearing, the Affidavit of Publication, the Notice of Hearing, and any other documents the newspaper gives you back to the Court for filing. Take a self-addressed, stamped envelope in case the Court must mail you the hearing date.

 

7.      Take the Order on Name Change to your hearing so the judge can sign it. You should be prepared to explain to the judge why you want to change your name and that you are not trying to avoid creditors.

 

8.      Once your name has been changed, it is your responsibility to inform government agencies, your employer, your creditors, and other interested agencies and businesses of your new name.                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions for filling out the Appearance (Form #1)

 

The instructions below correspond to the line numbers on the forms. Check the box in the first column as you complete each line.

 

	Line #d Line #	Instructions
	1	Print the name of the Court you will be filing your request for name change in. Ask your Clerk.
	3	Print the County name in the first blank and the case number of this case in the second blank. The Clerk will provide a case number for you.
	8 & 13	Print your current full name. You are the Petitioner in your change of name case.
	19	Check "Yes" or "No" depending on whether you have other Court cases.
	20	For each case, you should describe what kind of case it is, name the Court that the case is in, and give the case number of the case (this number should appear in the top right-hand corner of any Court documents that you have relating to that case).
	21	Sign your current full name.
	23	Print your current full name.
	25	Print your complete mailing address.
	27	Print your town, state, and zip code.
	29	Print your telephone number, with area code.

 

Instructions for filling out the Verified Petition for Change of Name (Form #2)

 

The instructions below correspond to the line numbers on the forms. Check the box in the first column as you complete each line.

 

	Line #d Line #	Instructions
	1 – 8	Copy the title as it appears in the Appearance Form you filled out.
	13 & 16	Print your current full name.
	18	Print your complete current home address.
	26	Print the full name you would like to change your name to.
	32	Sign your current full name.
	34	Print your current full name.
	36	Print your complete mailing address.
	38	Print your town, state, and zip code.
	40	Print your telephone number, with area code.

 

 

Instructions for filling out the Notice of Filing Proof of Publication

and Request for Hearing (Form #3)

 

	Line #d Line #	Instructions
	1 – 8	Copy the title as it appears in the Appearance Form you filled out.
	14	Print your current full name.
	30	Sign your current full name.
	32	Print your current full name.
	34	Print your complete mailing address.
	36	Print your town, state, and zip code.
	38	Print your telephone number, with area code.

 

 

 

 

Instructions for filling out the Affidavit of Publication (Form #4)

 

	Line #d Line #	Instructions
	1 – 8	Copy the title as it appears in the Appearance Form you filled out.
	15	Print the name of the newspaper that is publishing your name change.
	17	Print the city where this newspaper is located in the first blank and the county name where this newspaper is located in the second blank.
	19	Print the month, date, and year of the first publication.
	21	Print the month, date, and year of the second publication.
	23	Print the month, date, and year of the third publication.
	35 – 46	It is your responsibility to ask the newspaper representatives to fill out these blanks.

 

Instructions for filling out the Notice of Hearing (Form #5)

 

	Line #d Line #	Instructions
	1 – 8	Copy the title as it appears in the Appearance Form you filled out.
	13 – 22	The Court will fill out these blanks.
	26	Print your current full name.
	28	Print your complete mailing address.
	30	Print your town, state, and zip code.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions for filling out the Order on Verified Petition for Change of Name (Form #6)

 

The instructions below correspond to the line numbers on the forms. Check the box in the first column as you complete each line.

 

	Line #d Line #	Instructions
	1 – 8	Copy the title as it appears in the Appearance Form you filled out..
	17	Print your current full name.
	19	Print your complete current home address.
	25 & 31	Print the full name you would like to change your name to.
	33 & 34	The Court will fill out these blanks.
	38	Print your current full name.
	40	Print your complete mailing address.
	42	Print your town, state, and zip code.
	44	Print your telephone number, with area code.