Change of Legal Name of Minor
Is consent from both biological parents required to legally change the name of a minor child (age 11) in the state of Massachusetts? At what age is consent no longer required? What are the implications of refering to yourself by a name other than your legal name if it is not done for fraudulent purposes and you ise your actual legal name on all legal documents?
Asked on 5/06/98, 3:49 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Alan Pransky
Law Office of Alan J. Pransky
Change of Name for Child
In Massachusetts, a person can change their name by court order or by common law.Just as many women change their names when they get married without a courtorder, anybody can change their name. All that is required is that a personconsistently use the new name. The new name will become their legal name.However, if the change of name is doe for fraudulent purposes, then it is illegal tochange the name. A custodial parent can change a child's name merely by using anew name consistently.
Answered on 5/23/98, 10:12 pm
