The need for a legal name change may result from marriage, divorce, adoption or simply a desire to have another name. Generally, (d) when a minor is involved, the court looks to the best interest of the minor. After you have changed your name you may need to change records including: (a) Social Security Card, (b) Drivers License, (c) Passport ...
Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office 1101 Liberty Street, Knoxville TN 37919 (865) 594-6120 | Community Law Office. The public defender’s office handles representation of defendants assigned by court order.
The Lawyer Referral Service does NOT provide referrals to pro bono attorneys or on a reduced fee/ sliding scale arrangement. After the initial FREE consultation, each LRIS panel member will expect to be paid their normal fees for services. To see if you may qualify for legal assistance please contact Legal Aid of East Tennessee at 865-637-0484.
Jun 05, 2020 · The more common reason as to why a person may be denied from requesting an adult name change involves criminal matters. For example, it is illegal for a person to change their name for the purpose of avoiding arrest or other legal consequences. This act is known as fraud, and if convicted, the person can face criminal penalties.
The Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office (CLO) practices a holistic, client-centered representation model that combines vigorous legal advocacy with robust social services and access to community resources. The integrated structure of the legal and social services departments at the CLO creates a meaningful opportunity to partner with clients to help them stabilize their lives and get out of the criminal justice system. It provides for comprehensive representation that recognizes the interaction between legal, personal and environmental issues and, in contrast to a more traditional lawyer-centered model, emphasizes the collaboration between client, attorney and social worker. We have a unique mission for a public defender’s office operating within a statewide public defender system. Our mission is driven by our understanding that most of the criminal behavior in our community is symptomatic of other personal, psychological and social dynamics. As a community law office, we are able to advocate for a fair and just process within the criminal justice system, while also increasing our clients’ self-sufficiency and integration into the community, to positively impact the quality of life in Knox County.
General Sessions Court is a court of limited and special jurisdiction. The judges of the five divisions of Sessions Court have jurisdiction over all civil cases (exclusive of divorce and worker’s compensation) and all criminal offenses. The General Sessions Court's civil jurisdiction includes civil lawsuits up to $25,000.00 except for Actions to Recover Personal Property where possession and alternative money judgments up to $25,000.00 may be awarded. The General Sessions Courts also have original and unlimited jurisdiction over forcible entry and detainer warrants involving landlord-tenant disputes and non-payment of rent.
General Sessions Court, Civil Division, is a place where small disputes can be settled without formal courtroom procedures. Many cases in Civil Sessions Court do not require an attorney. Before you decide to represent yourself, you must determine how complicated your case is and if you feel confident that you can explain it to the judge.
Victim/Witness Coordinators are employed by the District Attorney’s Office to help victims and witnesses of crimes to understand their rights and answer their questions about the criminal justice system. If you have been a victim of crime, you have certain constitutional rights. These rights may help you better understand what will happen to your case. For more information, visit knoxcounty.org/dag.
The public defender’s office handles representation of defendants assigned by court order. Tennessee courts consider a number of factors in determining eligibility to be represented by a lawyer associated with a public defender office, or a private lawyer handling a case on an appointed basis, including the federal poverty guidelines.
The Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) program can help you find a private attorney who has experience with your particular type of legal problem. Established in 1958, the KBA Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS) staff can match you with the right attorney to help you with your legal needs.
Notice: The Knoxville Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) is a telephone and online-only service.
We put you in touch with an attorney to schedule up to a FREE 30-minute legal consultation.
Our panel attorneys must speak with you directly. They cannot pass you off to a paralegal or any other person for the consultation.
The KBA makes no warranties or representations concerning a lawyer’s ability to handle a caller’s particular legal matter. The decision to employ a lawyer is solely that of the caller, subject to the lawyer’s willingness to accept employment.
Another reason a name change petition will be denied is if the person is infringing on another individual’s rights. For instance, if the person wants to change their name to someone else’s with the intent to assume that person’s identity and to collect on their benefits, then not only will their request be struck down because it is illegal, but they can be charged criminally for it as well.
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Various other personal reasons, such as religion, politics, or to make it easier to pronounce or to spell a particular name.
For instance, if the person wants to change their name to someone else’s with the intent to assume that person’s identity and to collect on their benefits, then not only will their request be struck down because it is illegal, but they can be charged criminally for it as well.
In addition, while it is not the most common situation, a person may also have their name changed if they enter a witness protection program. However, the name they receive will generally be chosen by the law enforcement agency in charge of their placement in such a program.
There is a legal process available that makes it possible for an adult to have their name changed. Aside from the obvious reason that an individual does not like their given name, there are many events throughout one’s life that may prompt them to change their name.
Once that is done, a judge or magistrate will review the information on the forms and determine whether to grant or deny the name change request. In most cases, the judge will grant the petition.
Once the principal becomes mentally incapacitated or incapable, the attorney-in-fact can be removed by petitioning the court for a conservatorship or by the attorney-in-fact agreeing to resign.
Obtaining a conservatorship can be an expensive and lengthy process. Conservatorship will usually involve more than one attorney. Be sure your attorney has experience in filing for conservatorship.
A conservatorship is a legal tool by which the court declares persons unable to handle their affairs and, therefore, appoints a conservator.
The court can transfer to the conservator the responsibility for making decisions about any or all of the following: financial affairs, living arrangements, and medical care. If someone needs a conservator but no appropriate person is available, a Public Guardian can be appointed.
A well-prepared will is an effective tool that provides explicit instructions for the distribution of a person’s property. A will designates a person to serve as the Personal Representative, also referred to as executor/executrix, who is responsible for carrying out instructions in the will. A will helps settle affairs quickly, with fewer legal expenses. Since a will is seldom reviewed until after a funeral, instructions about funeral arrangements should be given beforehand to the person responsible for them. These instructions, and any directives regarding body donation, should be included in a durable power of attorney for health care–not in the will.
Power of attorney can continue indefinitely during the lifetime of the principal as long as that person is competent and capable of granting or revoking the power. If the principal becomes comatose or mentally incapacitated, the power of attorney automatically expires, just as it would if the principal died.
Power of attorney is a legal step that permits one individual, known as the “principal,” to give to another person, called the “attorney-in-fact,” or, “agent,” the authority to act on his or her behalf . The attorney-in-fact is authorized to handle banking and real estate matters, incur expenses, pay bills, and handle legal affairs for a specified period of time. Power of attorney can continue indefinitely during the lifetime of the principal as long as that person is competent and capable of granting or revoking the power. If the principal becomes comatose or mentally incapacitated, the power of attorney automatically expires, just as it would if the principal died. Therefore, this power of attorney may expire just when it is most needed.
If you are a minor and you wish to change your name, you should obtain your parents’ consent or provide your parents with notice via Certificated Mail.
To change your name as an adult in Ohio, you will need to go through the probate court in your county. Each county’s probate court will have specific paperwork.
Changing your name will cost money. First, you must pay the county’s filing fee. The application costs $128.00 in Frankly County in 2019.
You must have lived in a county for at least one year to apply there.
If you have any questions regarding when and how to publish notice of your name change, you should talk with the attorneys at Luftman, Heck & Associates.
If all you have on your record is traffic tickets or a lone drunk driving offense, then you are not prohibited from changing your name. Other more serious misdemeanors and felonies also are not a problem as long as they are not sexually motivated, did not have minor victims, and were not related to identity fraud.
If you have a criminal record, whether or not you can change your name depends on the offense (s) you were convicted of.
If there are errors on your divorce decree or if you’d like a different surname, you can file a petition to modify it.
To get your maiden name back after divorce all you need is a divorce decree. And most states allow you to obtain a court-ordered name change if you don’t like your current name. Each state has its own laws and restrictions but the general process of legally changing your name is pretty straightforward. 1. Marriage Name Change.
The first step of a divorce name change is to go through divorce proceedings in your state. After the state says your divorce is final, you will be able to obtain a divorce decree which serves as your legal name change document.
You should always keep proof of your original name (birth certificate) in case you run into any difficulties with using it again. 3. Court-Ordered Name Change. A legal name change for reasons other than marriage or divorce is a court-ordered name change and is usually because of personal preference or gender change.
People change their legal name for many reasons. For the most part name changes happen due to marriage, divorce, gender change or court order.
The first place to update your name after your marriage is with the Social Security Administration (SSA). You do this by submitting Form SS-5, your marriage certificate, and proof of your identity and citizenship.
If your new name is granted, your court will issue you a decree with your new name.
For adult name changes and uncontested child name changes, we normally obtain court ordered name changes within two weeks.
The process for obtaining a court order changing your child's name first involves meeting with an attorney, who will conduct the necessary research and prepares the necessary court documents. As a rule, it is preferable that all legal parents and/or guardians sign the required documents if the case is uncontested.
At the hearing, your attorney will ask the attending parent (s) or guardian (s) questions under oath before the judge and argue for the proposed name change. If the proposed change is contested (or if all legal parents and/or guardians have not signed the required documents), additional steps must be taken.
We accept cash, checks, and all major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. We offer a 2% discount for clients paying by cash or check.
For children, this normally includes Social Security Card, Birth Certificate, and Passport.
First, a process server must serve any contesting or absent parent or guardian with citation and a copy of the Petition. Following service, (or waiver of service), any contesting or absent parents will have an opportunity to respond and argue against the proposed change.
If you have been convicted of a crime above a class C misdemeanor, the law requires us to include that information to the court considering your name change. Therefore, it will be helpful to have whatever court-related documents you have related to your conviction in order to expedite the process.