You may have many reasons for wanting to change your name. Maybe you want to honor a loved one. Maybe you have rethought your decision on your name after a proceeding for divorce or adoption. Or maybe you simply do not like your name. Whatever the reason, subject to narrow legal exceptions, Family Diplomacy will guide you through the process of legally changing your name.
The following individuals may seek a change of name: (i) an adult; (ii) an adult on behalf of a minor child; and (iii) an adult on behalf of a family. Each adult seeking a name change must submit his or her fingerprints for a state and national criminal history records check. Once a petition for change of name is filed, the request will often be granted unless a Court finds that (i) the petitioner has ulterior or illegal motives in seeking the name change, (ii) the petitioner’s civil rights are suspended, or (iii) granting the name change will invade the property rights (e.g., intellectual property rights) of others.
At Family Diplomacy, we will work with you to change your legal name as swiftly and cost-effectively as possible. We understand that your time is valuable, and you do not want to be bogged down in the paperwork associated with a name change. Further, we understand that you do not have unlimited funds to devote to your name change. Accordingly, we will develop a specifically tailored plan to fit your name change needs.
Many of us remember Pee-Wee Herman from the Groundlings and children’s programming and movies in the 1980’s. More recently, you may have seen Paul Reubens, the man who plays Pee-Wee, appear on various TV shows, including the Blacklist, Portlandia, and Reno 911.
But, what you may not know is before Paul Reubens was Pee-Wee Herman, he was Paul Rubenfeld.
If you live in Tampa Bay, Greater Sarasota, or elsewhere in Florida and you are looking to change your legal name, Family Diplomacy: A Collaborative Law Firm can help you. Whether you seek to correct your birth certificate, honor a loved one, or turn a new leaf in life, Family Diplomacy will sit down with you and set a plan for moving forward.
Malcolm Little became Malcolm X. Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali. Cat Stevens became Yusuf Islam. All three changed their names to reflect their Muslim identity and cultural beliefs.
And if you wish to change your legal name to reflect your identity and beliefs, section 68.07 of the Florida Statutes sets out how you may do so.
The Tampa Tribune recently reported that the Union for Reform Judaism (“URJ”) passed a resolution in support of transgender rights. The resolution of the URJ, representing approximately 1.5 million American Jews, is the most wide-reaching indication of support for transgender equality.
The resolution did not mandate changes to Reform synagogues or require them to spend money on changes, though it did set suggested protocols on welcoming transgender and non-gender-conforming individuals.
A Tampa name change client of mine recently left a review of our legal services on Avvo.com. You can find the testimonial after the jump.
FLORIDA BAR DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different, and you may not receive the same or similar results.
With Pope Francis’ visit upon us and the recent celebration of the Jewish New Year, many Floridians are looking inward and have decided that they want to turn over a new leaf. For some, that may include a decision to adopt a new legal name.
Fortunately, Florida has procedures that permit most adult residents to change their name.
Caitlyn Jenner’s transition and reality TV show has raised awareness about transgender issues. However, for many Floridians, there are still a lot of questions. Some basic questions are: What do you call a transgender person? Which pronouns do you use?
PrideHealth, which is an organization out of Canada that “provides safe and accessible primary health care services for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ),” has produced a video to help answer these questions.
Though the video is directed to healthcare providers, it is helpful for legal services providers and anyone who does not want to alienate potential trans clientele.
Some states are very restrictive in their requirements to change a person’s legal name. Fortunately, Florida is relatively permissive, and Family Diplomacy has successfully represented dozens of clients to help get their name legally changed.
What follows is a step-by-step guide on how someone can request a change of name in Florida.
Bubba the Love Sponge is a nationally syndicated radio show host based out of Tampa Bay. He was born Todd Clem, but in the 1990’s he legally changed his name. The following is from Bubba987.com: 
In 1999 Clem legally changed his name to the trademarked Bubba the Love Sponge®, a nickname given to him by a former fellow DJ which appears as such on his passport and driver’s license. BTLS’ name recognition and popularity grew as the Bubba the Love Sponge® Show became syndicated throughout the US, and he became a top-rated media figure operating out of the Tampa Bay area.
You don’t have to be a celebrity to change your legal name.
In Florida, as in most other jurisdictions, women can restore their maiden name as part of the divorce process. However, for a lot of reasons, many women keep their married name.
Sometimes it is so they can maintain the same last name as their minor children, making it easier to communicate with school and healthcare officials. Sometimes it is related to their employment, and they do not want to disrupt an earned reputation by altering their name. And sometimes it is because they simply did not know they had the option to restore their name in divorce proceedings.
So, after divorce, is it too late to restore a maiden name?
