Mi Name Change

It costs $175 to file the petition. If you cannot afford to pay this, you can ask the judge to waive the fees. Read Fee Waivers in Court Cases to learn more about fee waivers.

Complete and file the Petition to Change Name with the family division of the circuit court in the county where your child lives. Pay the required fees. Notify your child's other parent. Publish the Notice of Hearing (unless the judge orders your case be kept confidential)

Both parents must applyBoth parents named on the child's birth certificate must apply to change their child's name.

Social Security Administration. Department of Motor Vehicles. Passport Office. Post Office. IRS. Voter Registration. Banks and other financial institutions. Credit Card companies (or issuers)

Generally, both parents must agree to a name change. If you agree, each of you must sign the Petition or the Waiver/Consent form.Your child can sign the petition stating their preference. To change the name of a child who is 14 years old or older, that child must sign a consent form in front of the judge.

Marriage or Divorce Sometimes, when parents divorce, if one parent is awarded the majority of custody, they may choose to change the child's last name.This could be the last name of one of the parents, a hyphenated last name, or even a name that represents the combining of the two last names.

If one parent is out of the picture, you don't need consent to change your child's last name. You do need to serve him or her with a conformed copy of the Order to Show Cause form. The other parent still does not have to consent or agree, just get served. Once served, a Proof of Service form must be filed.

How much does it cost? Filing a name change petition costs $175 in the state of Michigan. That said, you can request that the fees be waived if you can't afford them. To process your criminal background check, you'll have to pay an additional $43.25 in fees, plus any fees tacked on for getting fingerprinted.