If you decide to create the petition yourself, here are some things that you should know:
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The petition must state the legal reasons for your request.
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The petition must include the name you want to use.
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The petition must include your name, age, date of birth, place of birth, current address, and Social Security number.
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The petition must say whether or not you have been convicted of a crime, and if there are judgments or liens against you or your property. Liens are when someone has a hold on some of your property until you pay a debt.
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The petition must state whether you have asked for a name change before. If you asked for a name change before, write where, when, and what happened.
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You must sign the petition.
You must also provide the court with information about your marital status. Marital status means whether or not you are married.
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If you are married, you must attach a notarized (NO-tar-ized) statement from your husband or wife that says he or she knows about your application for a name change. If you do not want to involve your spouse, you must explain why to the court.
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If you are single, write “never married” on the petition.
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If you are divorced, the judge may want a copy of the name change served on your ex-spouse. An ex-spouse is a person you were married to. If you do not want to serve your ex-spouse, you must explain to the court why. For information on serving papers, see the LIFT guide “Serving Court Papers.”
If you were born in New York State, you must also submit your original birth certificate. If you were born outside of New York State, the court will accept a copy of your birth certificate.
You must buy an index number. Index number means a number for your petition from the court. You can do this in Civil Court or Supreme Court. In Civil Court, it costs $65. In Supreme Court, it costs $210. You can pay in cash, or with a check or money order made out to “Clerk of [Civil or Supreme] Court.”