How Does Name Change Take Effect After Marriage in New Jersey?

Full question:

When we went overseas, my stepdad told us to use his last name, which was not the name I was born with. This is on my marriage license, and all of my I.D. thru the years. My question is I am filing for a legal name change so I can get my driver's ID. But I don't understand what name am I suppose to be assuming. When I married, I went from my maiden name to my husband's last name. I am confused.

• Category: Name Change
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: New Jersey

Answer:

When you get married, you may adopt your husband's last name, it is a matter of personal choice whether or not to change your identification to a new married name. You may need to submit a court ordered name change order in some instances. The process for obtaining a name change in the State of New Jersey begins with the filing of a verified complaint with the Superior Court in the jurisdiction in which the petitioner resides. The complaint states the Petitioner's name, the name the Plaintiff wishes to adopt, the reasons for the requested change of name, that the application is not made with the intent to avoid creditors or to obstruct criminal prosecution or for other fraudulent purposes. The court must find that there is no reasonable objection to the change of name. The requested name change must also be consistent with the public interest. A person is not allowed to change their name in order to avoid judgments or legal actions against him or her, or to avoid debts and obligations. A person can not change their name to defraud any person.

After the Complaint is filed and the required fee is paid, the Court will set the Complaint for a hearing not less than thirty (30) days from the date of the Order of Publication. The Plaintiff is required to give public notice of the relief requested and the date of the hearing in a local newspaper. The notice must be published once at least two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled hearing.

After publication is complete, the Plaintiff must submit proof of publication to the Clerk of the Court. This is accomplished by filing an affidavit provided by the newspaper verifying the publication. The affidavit is attached to a copy of the published notice and filed with the Clerk.

We offer name change completion forms here at USLegal, including completion services. If you would like to browse our forms packages, or contact our name change department, please see this link:

http://www.uslegalforms.com/changeofname/new-jersey-name-change.htm

You may also want to call our customer service department: 1-877-389-0141. The cost for our completion service for a family name change is $225. The forms themselves are $79.95.