Fill and Sign the Free Alabama Name Change Forms How to Change Your Name in

Prepared by U.S. Legal Forms, Inc. Copyright 20 16 - U.S. Legal Forms, Inc. STATE OF ALABAMA NAME CHANGE ADULT PACKET Control Number – AL -NAME -4 This packet contains the following: 1. Instructions ; 2. Forms List ; and 3. Access to Alabama Law Summ ary . I. EXPLANATION OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME A. In Alabama, an action for a court ordered Change of Name begins with the filing of a Petition in the Probate Court. The Petition must contain certain information. The forms in this packet include the n ecessary information for an Adult Name Change in the State of Alabama. B. You can use this packet if: ► You are at least 19 years of age and have been a resident of the county in which you will file for a period of one year. ► You have proper and reasonable cause for the requested change of name. ► You are not changing your name to avoid debts or defraud creditors. II. WHAT FORMS ARE INCLUDED A. Petition and Declaration Change of Name (AL -NC -10 4) – This document states the reasons and other required details for your name change. B. Affidavit (AL -NC -105) – affidavit of adult petitioner in support of name change petition. C. Decree (AL -NC -106) – This final statement of the legalities and terms of your name change. Once this form is signed by the Judge and filed with the court, the name change is effective. It is also suggested you take an envelope that you can address and stamp IF NEEDED. Some of the Probate Courts will require a stamped self -addressed envelope to be used in returning your forms after they are reviewed by the Judge. Since most courts do not consistently require a SASE, take it but wait to address and stamp it. If you did not order a completion package and need access to the download page again for any of the above forms, please check your email for a link to that will redisplay the page for you. III. PROCEDURE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (ADULT) FOR THE STATE OF ALABAMA A. Preliminary Note: 1. The forms may be completed by: a. Printing the forms and completing by hand. Use black ink and print neatly. b. Printing th e forms and completing using a typewriter. c. By completing the forms on your computer using a word processing program and then printing the forms. 2. Use complete names and not initials. Check your spelling carefully, a misspelled word can delay your name change. 3. Print three (3) complete sets of forms. 4. All forms with a heading – the name of the court, the Petitioner’s name, the case number, and the name of the document – require that the heading be completed. You will need to add the name of the court and the full name of the Petitioner. The “Action/Cause No.” will be assigned by the court clerk at the time of filing. 5. Forms that require you signature and include a notary block MUST be signed in the presence of the notary or court clerk who will co mplete the acknowledgement. Use your complete name – first name, middle nam e, and last name. 6. When a form is filed with the court, request the clerk “file -stamp” one c opy of the form for your file. 7. A Law Summary has been included at the end of this form packet. Review the Law Summary before beginning the process of com pleting the forms. B. Procedure Step 1: Complete all the forms using complete names – middle names instead of middle initials. Step 2: File the forms (AL -NC -10 4, 10 5 and 10 6) in t he Probate Court in the county in which you have been a resident for a period of at least one year and pay the appropriate fee. Step 3: The Court will usually not require a hearing before considering the name change petition. If there is a hearing , any p ersons objecting to the requested Name Change will be heard by the Court; and the Court may examine, upon oath, the Petitioners(s) or other pe rsons concerning the Petition. Step 4: If the Court is satisfied as to (1) the truth of the allegations contained in the Petition; and, (2) that there is a reasonable and proper basis for the requested change of name, the Court will issue the Decree of Name Change. Step 5: Obtain a certified copy of the Decree from the Clerk after it has been signed by the Judge. Y ou are now ready to notify appropriate persons and govern mental agencies of the change. NOTE ABOUT COMPLETING THE FORMS The forms in this packet contain “form fields” created using Microsoft Word. “Form fields” facilitate completion of the forms usin g your computer. They do not limit you ability to print the form “in blank” and complete with a typewriter or by hand. If you do not see the gray shaded form fields, go the View menu, click on Toolbars, and then select Forms. This will open the forms to olbar. Look for the button on the forms toolbar that resembles a shaded letter “a”. Click in this button and the form fields will be visible. The forms are locked which means that the content of the forms cannot be changed. You can only fill in the inf ormation in the fields. If you need to make any changes in the body of the form, it is necessary for you “unlock” or “unprotect” the form. IF YOU INTEND TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE CONTENT, DO SO BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO FILL IN THE FIELDS. IF YOU UNLOCK THE DOC UMENT AFTER YOU HAVE BEGUN TO COMPLETE THE FIELDS, WHEN YOU RELOCK, ALL INFORMATION YOU ENTERED WILL BE LOST. To unlock click on “Tools” in the Menu bar and then selecting “unprotect document”. You may then be prompted to enter a password. If so, the pa ssword is “uslf”. That is uslf in lower case letters without the quotation marks . After you make the changes relock the document before you being to complete the fields. After any required changes and re -protecting the document, click on the first form field and enter the required information. You will be able to navigate through the document from form field to form field using your tab key. Tab to a form field and insert your data. If problems, please let us know. LAW SUMMARY The law summary for t his package may be located and printed from the following address: http://www.uslegalforms.com/al/AL -NAME -1.htm DISCLAIMER These materials were developed by U.S. Legal Forms, Inc. based upon sta tutes and forms for the State of Alabama. All Information and Forms are subject to this Disclaimer: All forms in this package are provided without any warranty, express or implied, as to their legal effect and completeness. Please use at your own risk. If you have a serious legal problem we suggest that you consult an attorney. U.S. Legal Forms, Inc. does not provide legal advice. The products offered by U.S. Legal Forms (USLF) are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. THE MATERIALS ARE PROVI DED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY OF ANY KIND INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NONINFRINGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL U. S. LEGAL FORMS, INC. OR ITS AGENTS OR OFFICERS B E LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF INFORMATION) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE MATERIALS, EVEN IF U.S. LEGAL FORMS, INC. HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.