How Long Does It Take to Process a Name Change in Queens County? Updated November 2014
The current processing time from filing the name change petition in the Queens Civil Court Special Term Office to receiving a signed name change order is approximately 10 weeks.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Queens County. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at
http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
Where Do You File a Name Change Petition in Staten Island?
Where Do You File a Name Change Petition in Staten Island?
In Staten Island, a person who seeks a name change files a name change petition at the Civil Court of the City of New York, in Richmond County (Staten Island). The Civil Court in Staten Island is located at 927 Castleton Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10310.
A name change petition with the appropriate exhibits must be submitted with a proposed name change order and this must be taken to Special Term clerk's office located in the basement of the Staten Island Civil Court. (See my website http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/ to learn in detail what exhibits are necessary to attach to the petition.) If the papers are in order, the Special Term clerk will mark the name change petition and proposed order as approved and you will then take the name change petition and proposed order to the cashier (also in the basement) to pay for the $65 filing fee.
Once the filing fee is paid, the cashier will mark the petition and proposed order as paid and then mark the proposed order and petition with a stamped index number. When this is complete, you bring the name change petition and proposed order back to the Special Term clerk office window in the basement where the Special Term clerks will enter the index number and information about the petition into the Staten Island Civil Court computer data base.
After the Special Term clerk enters information from the name change petition into the Civil Court data base, the name change petition and proposed order are held by the clerk until such time as a Civil Court judge can review the papers. My experience in Staten Island Civil Court has been that I had to call the Special Term Clerk within a few weeks after filing to check on the status of the submission, or the Clerk's office would contact me approximately 3 to 4 weeks after filing to let me know that the order had been signed. Expect the waiting time to be longer during summer months since judges are on vacation.
After the order is signed by the Staten Island Civil Court judge, you must obtain a copy from the Special Term clerk's office so that you can send it to a newspaper designated by the order for publishing the name change notice. Most judges in Staten Island select the Staten Island Advance Newspaper for publishing as it is Staten Island's only local newspaper. (See my website http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/ to learn about the name change publication requirement). You must also send a copy of the order to government agencies and private parties that are designated by the order, if the order requires that.
After a few weeks when you receive an affidavit of publication from the designated newspaper, take the affidavit of publication and any proof of mailing to government agencies and private parties back to the Special Term clerk office in the basement. If the affidavit of publication is properly prepared and your proof of mailing is in proper form, the Special Term clerk will mark the name change order as complete and send you back to the cashier also in the basement where you can obtain a court certified name change order copy for $6.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Staten Island. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
In Staten Island, a person who seeks a name change files a name change petition at the Civil Court of the City of New York, in Richmond County (Staten Island). The Civil Court in Staten Island is located at 927 Castleton Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10310.
A name change petition with the appropriate exhibits must be submitted with a proposed name change order and this must be taken to Special Term clerk's office located in the basement of the Staten Island Civil Court. (See my website http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/ to learn in detail what exhibits are necessary to attach to the petition.) If the papers are in order, the Special Term clerk will mark the name change petition and proposed order as approved and you will then take the name change petition and proposed order to the cashier (also in the basement) to pay for the $65 filing fee.
Once the filing fee is paid, the cashier will mark the petition and proposed order as paid and then mark the proposed order and petition with a stamped index number. When this is complete, you bring the name change petition and proposed order back to the Special Term clerk office window in the basement where the Special Term clerks will enter the index number and information about the petition into the Staten Island Civil Court computer data base.
After the Special Term clerk enters information from the name change petition into the Civil Court data base, the name change petition and proposed order are held by the clerk until such time as a Civil Court judge can review the papers. My experience in Staten Island Civil Court has been that I had to call the Special Term Clerk within a few weeks after filing to check on the status of the submission, or the Clerk's office would contact me approximately 3 to 4 weeks after filing to let me know that the order had been signed. Expect the waiting time to be longer during summer months since judges are on vacation.
After the order is signed by the Staten Island Civil Court judge, you must obtain a copy from the Special Term clerk's office so that you can send it to a newspaper designated by the order for publishing the name change notice. Most judges in Staten Island select the Staten Island Advance Newspaper for publishing as it is Staten Island's only local newspaper. (See my website http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/ to learn about the name change publication requirement). You must also send a copy of the order to government agencies and private parties that are designated by the order, if the order requires that.
After a few weeks when you receive an affidavit of publication from the designated newspaper, take the affidavit of publication and any proof of mailing to government agencies and private parties back to the Special Term clerk office in the basement. If the affidavit of publication is properly prepared and your proof of mailing is in proper form, the Special Term clerk will mark the name change order as complete and send you back to the cashier also in the basement where you can obtain a court certified name change order copy for $6.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Staten Island. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Where Do You File a Name Change Petition in Brooklyn?
Where Do You File a Name Change Petition in Brooklyn?
In Brooklyn, a person who seeks a name change files a name change petition at the Civil Court of the City of New York, in Kings County (Brooklyn). The Civil Court in Brooklyn is located at 141 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Brooklyn. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
A name change petition with the appropriate exhibits must be submitted with a proposed name change order and this must be taken to Special Term clerk's office located on the 9th floor of the Brooklyn Civil Court. (See my website http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/ to learn in detail what exhibits are necessary to attach to the petition.) If the papers are in order, the Special Term clerk will mark the name change petition and proposed order as approved and you will then take the name change petition and proposed order to the cashier on the 2nd floor ( Rm 205) to pay for the $65 filing fee.
Once the filing fee is paid, the cashier will mark the petition and proposed order as paid and then mark the proposed order and petition with a stamped index number. When this is complete, you bring the name change petition and proposed order back to the Special Term clerk office on the 9th floor where the Special Term clerks will enter the index number and information about the petition into the Brooklyn Civil Court computer data base.
After the Special Term clerk enters information from the name change petition into the Civil Court data base, the name change petition and proposed order are sent up to the 11th floor to court room # 1102 to be submitted to the sitting Brooklyn Civil Court judge for signature. If you are lucky and the papers are in proper order, the Brooklyn Civil Court will probably sign the name change order the same day. Otherwise, you usually can have obtain a signed order by the next day. After the order is signed by the Brooklyn Civil Court judge, you must obtain a copy from the Special Term clerk's office so that you can send it to a newspaper designated by the order for publishing the name change notice. (See my website http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/ to learn about the name change publication requirement). You must also send a copy of the order to government agencies and private parties that are designated by the order, if the order requires that.
After a few weeks when you receive an affidavit of publication from the designated newspaper, take the affidavit of publication and any proof of mailing to government agencies and private parties back to the Special Term clerk office on the 9th floor. If the affidavit of publication is properly prepared and your proof of mailing is in proper form, the Special Term clerk will mark the name change order as complete and send you back to the cashier on the second floor where you can obtain a court certified name change order copy for $6.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Brooklyn. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
In Brooklyn, a person who seeks a name change files a name change petition at the Civil Court of the City of New York, in Kings County (Brooklyn). The Civil Court in Brooklyn is located at 141 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Brooklyn. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
A name change petition with the appropriate exhibits must be submitted with a proposed name change order and this must be taken to Special Term clerk's office located on the 9th floor of the Brooklyn Civil Court. (See my website http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/ to learn in detail what exhibits are necessary to attach to the petition.) If the papers are in order, the Special Term clerk will mark the name change petition and proposed order as approved and you will then take the name change petition and proposed order to the cashier on the 2nd floor ( Rm 205) to pay for the $65 filing fee.
Once the filing fee is paid, the cashier will mark the petition and proposed order as paid and then mark the proposed order and petition with a stamped index number. When this is complete, you bring the name change petition and proposed order back to the Special Term clerk office on the 9th floor where the Special Term clerks will enter the index number and information about the petition into the Brooklyn Civil Court computer data base.
After the Special Term clerk enters information from the name change petition into the Civil Court data base, the name change petition and proposed order are sent up to the 11th floor to court room # 1102 to be submitted to the sitting Brooklyn Civil Court judge for signature. If you are lucky and the papers are in proper order, the Brooklyn Civil Court will probably sign the name change order the same day. Otherwise, you usually can have obtain a signed order by the next day. After the order is signed by the Brooklyn Civil Court judge, you must obtain a copy from the Special Term clerk's office so that you can send it to a newspaper designated by the order for publishing the name change notice. (See my website http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/ to learn about the name change publication requirement). You must also send a copy of the order to government agencies and private parties that are designated by the order, if the order requires that.
After a few weeks when you receive an affidavit of publication from the designated newspaper, take the affidavit of publication and any proof of mailing to government agencies and private parties back to the Special Term clerk office on the 9th floor. If the affidavit of publication is properly prepared and your proof of mailing is in proper form, the Special Term clerk will mark the name change order as complete and send you back to the cashier on the second floor where you can obtain a court certified name change order copy for $6.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Brooklyn. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Name Changes for Permanent Residents - Some Pitfalls.
Name Changes for Permanent Residents - Some Pitfalls.
Permanent Residents ( Green Card Holders) can apply and obtain a name change order just as U.S. Citizens can. New York Courts will grant the order since Permanent Residents have the same legal right to change their names as U.S Citizens do.
There are some difficulties, however, that arise for Permanent Residents. Some countries will not recognize a New York name change order for passport purposes. Notably, Permanent Residents from Brazil seem to have this problem. Thus, if you are a permanent resident, before seeking a name change in a New York court, you should check with your country's consulate or embassy to determine if your country's consulate or embassy would recognize a New York name change order. You need to do this to determine if you can also change your name on your passport. If you can not change the name on your passport after obtaining a New York name change order, you may have problems traveling to and from the United States because you will have conflicting identification. Thus, before hiring a New York name change lawyer to petition for a name change, make sure that you can also later change the name on your foreign passport.
Permanent Residents will also need to contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) after obtaining a name change so that the agency knows that you have changed your name as you process toward U.S. Citizenship. A failure to do so can create processing problems and can endanger your Permanent Resident status. Since the government would not be properly advised of your current identity, a failure to notify USCIS can lead to filing and registration confusion and mishaps which can be difficult to correct in subsequent years following the name change order issuance.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Brooklyn ( Kings County) and Queens. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at
http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
Permanent Residents ( Green Card Holders) can apply and obtain a name change order just as U.S. Citizens can. New York Courts will grant the order since Permanent Residents have the same legal right to change their names as U.S Citizens do.
There are some difficulties, however, that arise for Permanent Residents. Some countries will not recognize a New York name change order for passport purposes. Notably, Permanent Residents from Brazil seem to have this problem. Thus, if you are a permanent resident, before seeking a name change in a New York court, you should check with your country's consulate or embassy to determine if your country's consulate or embassy would recognize a New York name change order. You need to do this to determine if you can also change your name on your passport. If you can not change the name on your passport after obtaining a New York name change order, you may have problems traveling to and from the United States because you will have conflicting identification. Thus, before hiring a New York name change lawyer to petition for a name change, make sure that you can also later change the name on your foreign passport.
Permanent Residents will also need to contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) after obtaining a name change so that the agency knows that you have changed your name as you process toward U.S. Citizenship. A failure to do so can create processing problems and can endanger your Permanent Resident status. Since the government would not be properly advised of your current identity, a failure to notify USCIS can lead to filing and registration confusion and mishaps which can be difficult to correct in subsequent years following the name change order issuance.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Brooklyn ( Kings County) and Queens. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at
http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
Sunday, March 2, 2014
How Long Does It Take to Process a Name Change in Queens County?
How Long Does It Take to Process a Name Change in Queens County?
The process of obtaining a legal name change in New York City takes the longest in Queens County. After the name change petition, exhibits, and proposed order are prepared by an attorney, the papers are submitted to the special term clerk's office in the Queens Civil Court for approval. If everything is in order, the fee of $65 is paid to the cashier to complete filing.
Currently, ( as of March 2, 2014) it takes approximately 8 weeks from filing to obtain an order signed by a Civil Court judge. This time frame changes depending on how many name change cases the Civil Court has to process which varies based on the time of year and the number of name change petition filings received. During summer months and major holidays, you can expect longer delays in obtaining a signed order.
Even after the order is signed by a Civil Court judge, there is still an additional 2 to 3 weeks of waiting time one will have to wait to publish the name change notice from the order in a court ordered designated newsaper and to receive the affidavit of publication for filing.
Once the affidavit of publication is filed, the process is complete and you can obtain a certified copy of the name change order for $6 which you can save for your records and use to change your name with government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Office.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Queens County. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at
http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
The process of obtaining a legal name change in New York City takes the longest in Queens County. After the name change petition, exhibits, and proposed order are prepared by an attorney, the papers are submitted to the special term clerk's office in the Queens Civil Court for approval. If everything is in order, the fee of $65 is paid to the cashier to complete filing.
Currently, ( as of March 2, 2014) it takes approximately 8 weeks from filing to obtain an order signed by a Civil Court judge. This time frame changes depending on how many name change cases the Civil Court has to process which varies based on the time of year and the number of name change petition filings received. During summer months and major holidays, you can expect longer delays in obtaining a signed order.
Even after the order is signed by a Civil Court judge, there is still an additional 2 to 3 weeks of waiting time one will have to wait to publish the name change notice from the order in a court ordered designated newsaper and to receive the affidavit of publication for filing.
Once the affidavit of publication is filed, the process is complete and you can obtain a certified copy of the name change order for $6 which you can save for your records and use to change your name with government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Office.
Christopher Tompkins is an Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years in New York City frequently practicing in Queens County. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at
http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
Friday, February 14, 2014
What Happens After Getting a Legal Name Change Order in New York?
What Happens After Getting a Legal Name Change Order in New York?
After obtaining a legal name change order from a court, you should contact government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles to change the name on your driver license, the US Passport Office to change the name on your passport, and the US Social Security Office to change the name on your social security card. Each of these government agencies has an application and a filing fee which also requires that you supply a certified copy of the name change order that you received from the court. You should also let the board of elections ( voting agency) and your local post office know that you have changed your name.
Some people like to have the name on their birth record at the Department of Health in New York changed to the new legal name. But this is not necessary since you can identify yourself to government agencies about the name change by showing the birth record with the certified name change order which references it.
In New York City, the process of changing the name on your birth record is called a "correction application" and this can be done only after obtaining a legal name change order from a court. Submit the correction application to the New York City Department of Health with a certified copy of the name change order along with any required fee. In New York City, the Department of Health is located in Manhattan at 125 Worth Street, NY, NY.
If you were born in another state, contact the agency that maintains birth records to find out what to do after obtaining the name change order if you want to add the new name to the birth record. Again, this is not necessary since you can identify yourself to government agencies about the name change by showing the birth record with the certified name change order which references it.
Christopher Tompkins is a New York City Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
After obtaining a legal name change order from a court, you should contact government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles to change the name on your driver license, the US Passport Office to change the name on your passport, and the US Social Security Office to change the name on your social security card. Each of these government agencies has an application and a filing fee which also requires that you supply a certified copy of the name change order that you received from the court. You should also let the board of elections ( voting agency) and your local post office know that you have changed your name.
Some people like to have the name on their birth record at the Department of Health in New York changed to the new legal name. But this is not necessary since you can identify yourself to government agencies about the name change by showing the birth record with the certified name change order which references it.
In New York City, the process of changing the name on your birth record is called a "correction application" and this can be done only after obtaining a legal name change order from a court. Submit the correction application to the New York City Department of Health with a certified copy of the name change order along with any required fee. In New York City, the Department of Health is located in Manhattan at 125 Worth Street, NY, NY.
If you were born in another state, contact the agency that maintains birth records to find out what to do after obtaining the name change order if you want to add the new name to the birth record. Again, this is not necessary since you can identify yourself to government agencies about the name change by showing the birth record with the certified name change order which references it.
Christopher Tompkins is a New York City Attorney that has been handling Legal Name Change Matters for 20 years. Contact him at 212 962-5363. Email: NameChangeLawyer@gmail.com. Visit his website at http://www.ny-legal-name-change-lawyer.com/
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Puerto Rican Birth Certificates and New York City Name Changes
Puerto Rican Birth Certificates and New York City Name Changes
Born in Puerto Rico? New York City Civil Courts Require Birth Certificates issued on or after July 1, 2010 to process a name change application. Puerto Rican Birth Certificates issued before July 1, 2010 are invalid. The Puerto Rican government took measures in December of 2009 to end the black market for Puerto Rican birth certificates which were used to fraudulently obtain immigration and entitlement benefits.
On December 22, 2009, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed into law S.B. No. 1182, Law No. 191 of 2009. The legislation amended Puerto Rico law with respect to the issuance and validity of birth certificates. Section 6 provided, in general, that all certified copies of birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 would become invalid either within 15 days of issuance or on July 1, 2010, whichever date was later. Under the new 2010 law, Puerto Rico will begin issuing more secure birth certificates on July 1, 2010.
Born in Puerto Rico? New York City Civil Courts Require Birth Certificates issued on or after July 1, 2010 to process a name change application. Puerto Rican Birth Certificates issued before July 1, 2010 are invalid. The Puerto Rican government took measures in December of 2009 to end the black market for Puerto Rican birth certificates which were used to fraudulently obtain immigration and entitlement benefits.
On December 22, 2009, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed into law S.B. No. 1182, Law No. 191 of 2009. The legislation amended Puerto Rico law with respect to the issuance and validity of birth certificates. Section 6 provided, in general, that all certified copies of birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 would become invalid either within 15 days of issuance or on July 1, 2010, whichever date was later. Under the new 2010 law, Puerto Rico will begin issuing more secure birth certificates on July 1, 2010.
Christopher Tompkins
Attorney At Law
225 Broadway, Suite 700
New York, NY 10007
212 962-5363
Christopher Tompkins has been practicing New York Name Change Law for 20 years. Visit his website.
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