If You Want a Legal Name Change in Florida, Know Thyself

Florida permits most people who want to change their legal name to do so, but there are some hoops to jump through.

You must file a legal document, known as a petition, in the circuit court of the county in which you reside.  The petition must include extensive information regarding you and your history, including all addresses at which you have lived since birth. 

In other words, before filing the petition, you must know thyself, and gather all appropriate information about you.

Keep in mind that you will likely have to go through a background check through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, so it is best to be as thorough and up front in the petition as possible.

A judge will review your petition, and he or she may require you to appear in court and provide testimony about the request to change your name.  This is mainly done to ensure that you are not requesting the change for an illegal or ulterior purpose.

If you have questions about changing your legal name in Florida, schedule a consultation with Family Diplomacy at (813) 443-0615 or fill out our contact form.