There are a variety of reasons why you may want to change your name or the name of a minor child. A name change requires a formal application to the court. The court will want to ensure that you are not applying for a name change in order to avoid creditors or criminal prosecution, or for other fraudulent purposes. The process of obtaining a name change can be procedurally demanding. If all requirements related to the filing, service and publication of the name change application are not fully complied with, the court will deny the application. It is for this reason that it is important you consult with experienced legal counsel to assist you with this process.
Appeals
It is not unusual for a trial court decision to leave one or both parties unhappy about certain aspects of a decision. Those parties have the right to seek review by the Appellate Division. An appeal is a very different process than the one utilized by the Superior Court. It is strictly a legal review, not a retrial, and requires the filing of briefs with a thorough legal analysis of the lower court’s actions. Even if a litigant has handled their matter on their own throughout a lower court proceeding, the particular requirements of an appeal make it important to have experienced legal counsel for such an undertaking.
