The complete guide to changing your name in California! Divorce, complicated spelling, tricky pronunciation, personal preference -- there are lots of reasons to change a name. And though the rules have changed recently, it's still a relatively straightforward procedure in the Golden State. How to Change Your Name in California provides the step-by-step instructions and legal forms you need to: - choose a name and make it your own - change back to your former name after divorce - change your child's name - get a new or amended birth certificate for you or your child - get a new driver license, Social Security card and passport - get a court to recognize a change of gender This edition reflects the latest rules and regulations on changing your name, a new section on changing your name after a same-sex marriage, including discussion of potential conflicts between state and federal law that can affect how the name change process turns out. Plus, it's been updated to reflect a recent law that allows either spouse to change their name after marriage.

Author Biography

A former editor, attorney Lisa Sedano helped shape many Nolo legal books, including the bestselling Neighbor Law. Emily Doskow is a practicing attorney and mediator who has worked with families in the Bay Area for more than 15 years. She specializes in family law, including adoption, parentage issues, domestic partnership formation and dissolution, and divorce. She is a graduate of the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley.