Name Changes in South Carolina

Lexington Family Attorneys

If you are interested in pursuing a legal name change for either yourself or your child the Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC, located in Lexington, South Carolina can assist you with South Carolina name change law. To obtain a name change in South Carolina requires the filing of a formal petition with the Family Court. At the conclusion of the process the Court can issue an order authorizing the amendment of a birth certificate, driver's license and other identifying documentation.

Adults are entitled to change their name, or the spelling of their name, for any lawful personal reason. Many times name changes are sought to conform the spelling of a name to the usage that has developed over a lifetime or to correct a misspelling previously made by a government agency.

To change the name of a minor generally requires the consent of both parents. In the event that a parent does not consent a contested trial may be required to demonstrate to the Court that the name change is in the child's best interest. Changing a child's name does not alter either parent's parental rights, cancel a support order or limit either the parent or the child to inherent from the other's estate. In all cases a guardian ad litem must be appointed to represent the child's interests before the Court.

To begin the name change process we start off by requesting the required background investigations required by South Carolina law. Once those are complete the necessary petition for filing with the Court is prepared. In most cases a hearing is required before a Family Court judge.