How to legally change a last name?

Are you changing to your spouse's current last name, or hyphenating? If so, you just head to the social security administration office with your marriage certificate and they should be able to process it. Then with the new SS card and your marrice certificate, you get a new license, etc, and just show those docs to everyone else for new stuff. If possible, I might wait and not get a license when you first move there, just get one after the name change...

According to ssa.gov, the office is at:
1ST FL SUITE 2
8000 NISKY CENTER
CHARLOTTE AMALIE , VI 00802
(800) 772-1213

If you and/or your spouse are changing to a new last name (like my husband and I merged the first syllable in each of ours to get a new one), you may have to get a court order through the VI territorial court. Most courts explain on their website how to do it, but the VI court doesn't.

Thanks!

I want to have my step fathers last name, I am 24 years old, how can I change my last name

Married women are technically required by USVI law to take the same last name as their husband so the process, as wgrrl described, is relatively straightforward.

I beleive you have to be adopted by your stepfather.

dntw8up: WHA??? I have never heard this, and know quite a few women who have kept their maiden name.

East Ender,

I too know many women who have opted to keep their maiden names but apparently the law has been on the books since 1921!

http://www.onepaper.com/stthomasvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=1138079979

The law is as we speak scheduled for change, i.e. has just been passed. Women in the Virgin Islands will now be allowed to keep their maiden name.

Tariee

As far as I know, if you can convince a judge, you can change your name to anything (responsible) you want to.

So, You might be able to change your name to your step fathers name without other formal legal action. If you are a minor you might have other issues.

Although this is typically a DIY in the states, seeing an attorney may make the process easier in this case. If the VI Court does not have the forms you can complete yourself, the attorney can sort it out for you. If you have been convicted of a felony, have claimed bankruptcy, or have a lien or financial judgment filed against you, then you should definitely use an attorney.

In most places around the country, all a woman needs to do to legally change her name after getting married is to take her wedding license to the DMV to get her driver's license changed to the new name, and then begin using the new name. This would also entail changing the name on bank accounts, utilities, automobile titles, etc. If you own a house, you can usually quitclaim your rights from your old name to your new name... or just leave it as is and know that there will be a question when you go to sell the property, at which time someone will want information about your wedding/name change. Get a new social security card issued in your new name and a new passport if you have one.

Verrry interesting! I guess I missed that article. Thanks, downtown on the 8th floor! 😉

I cannot for the life of me figure out your screen name, but I guess mine is not to reason why...

you can't figure out "don't wait up"?

No, I can't.