Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Pennsylvania

Re: name change

So you want to be the next Cher, Madonna or Prince. Pennsylvania law does not specifically state that a person is required to have a surname, however, as you know, surnames are the custom and are used for a variety of identification purposes. In order to change your name, you need to file a petition and obtain court approval. When an application is filed with the court, the court (at applicants expense) will forward to the State Police a copy of the application and the persons finger prints. The police will determine whether the person has a criminal history. The law pertaining to name changes contain certain exceptions for convicted felons.

You should seek counsel to ensure that you file a proper name change petition.

Re: name change

You have to have a court hearing. A judgement search needs to be done and you need to be fingerprint. There is whole court procedure.