New Jersey law allows “Any person” to “institute an action in Superior Court, for authority to assume another name.” If that person is under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must file the action. Under certain legislation being considered by the United States’ Congress, people who changed their surnames upon marriage may wish to resume their prior name to ensure their right to vote. Fortunately, if you have the right documents in your possession and are not involved in any other legal complications, you may be able to use the self-help kit offered on www.njcourts.com. Click here to review the package and to decide if the kit is right for you, or if you need more sophisticated legal advice.
Divorcing spouses may also change their surnames as part of the process of dissolving their marriage, but if time is of the essence, then the stand-alone name change application may be more effective. Either way, changing your name triggers a long list of tasks for the individual, because it requires notifying and getting new documents from dozens of different places, such as government issued documents:
- Social Security
- U.S. Passport
- State Driver’s License (REAL ID) – see https://www.nj.gov/mvc/drivertopics/namechange.htm for information on how to change your New Jersey license.
- State Vehicle Title & Registration
- State Voter Registration
Then, the individual still has to go through the work to update their name on personal accounts, including:
- Professional licenses and certifications (state nursing licenses, state medical licenses, state teaching licenses, state CPA licenses, bar associations, etc.)
- Bank accounts
- Credit cards
- Investment accounts
- Auto loans/financing
- TSA Pre✓ and Global Entry
- Airline loyalty programs
- Hotel loyalty programs
- Subscription/membership services.
The list goes on, but if you are concerned about your name for any reason, including your right to vote, contact one of the experienced Family Law Attorneys at Cohn Lifland for more information about name changes under New Jersey law.