Lawyers, i need your help. I wanna have my surname changed.

[spark]

gusto ko magpapalit ng surname because the one i have right now doesn't really sound good. it is so filipino and doesn't have a very nice meaning.

magkano kaya magagastos sa lawyer? ano mga proseso?
kanino ko pwede lumapit? at ano sa tingin nyo na magandang surname?

[gotcha2]

meron akong alam na nagpalit ng first name lang. It cost her an arm and a leg and some more. Ang pangalan ba naman ay
BULAKIDA...I think it was name after a combination of a place. I cant remember the 'BU' but I'm sure a place in Bohol, 'LA' another place in Bohol, 'KI' is kidapawan and 'DA' is Davao. She didn't care for her last name cuz she is marrying a German national anyway. I think they went to court and every week for about a month, they have to publish it in a newspaper.

Suggestion for a last name...why not Ayala, Zobel, Araneta..
yan feeling mayaman.:D

[kerb]

She didn't care for her last name cuz she is marrying a German national anyway


it cost her an arm and a leg. and yet she bothered to change her last name. di ko makonek... WHY O WHY??

spark.. merong meaning fam name mo? o just a filipino wierd sounding name? meron akong classmate na filipino sounding but of all things! yun pa! hint: merong meaning pero kakahiya esp kapag meron roll call.. ie. class attendance check :P).

[green grin]

:lol: @ gotcha2. okay yung suggested last names.

spark, to answer your second question:

you will require the services of a lawyer to legally change your name since a court hearing will be required. a petition for change of name shall be filed in the regional trial court of the city (or province) where you reside and the court will issue an order setting forth the date and place of the hearing, which will then be published for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation.

during the hearing the court will inquire why you want to change your name. here in the philippines, one cannot change one's name kasi trip mo lang. there has to be some valid reason for doing so. in your case, as you said, because your current last name might (or does) subject you to ridicule, i believe the court will approve the change of name.

re your first question:

the bulk of the expenses will be in the publication of the case (a requirement), which will cost about P20,000. add the filing fees (court expenses) which should be small (siguro P1,000 max). and the lawyer's fees (consisting of appearance fees, cost, and preparations) which could be anywhere from P5,000 to P100,000, depending on the difficulty of your case.

if you want to keep the cost down, here are some tips:

a) look for a friend who can get you a discount in the cost of publication. the lawyer doesn't make money off this but won't necessarily do the favor of getting a discount for you.

b) prepare your birth certificate, your baptismal certificate, school records, and employment records before you see the lawyer. this way it'll be easier for him to make the necessary petition papers.

c) volunteer to do all the other requirements (securing NBI clearance, etc.) so you won't have to pay his office staff to do the things you can do yourself.

d) DO NOT withhold any information from your lawyer. if you've been convicted of a crime, or have a pending case against you, let him know and furnish him a copy of the records. the last thing you want to do is to be dishonest with your lawyer. he will charge you for expenses to rectify the damage caused by your misrepresentation. tell him everything - the info you give him falls under lawyer-client privilege.

re your third question:

i suggest you approach a small- to medium-size law firm since their overhead isn't big. the trick, of course, is finding one that's competent enough to do the job. what city or province do you live in? i might have a lawyer-friend working in the place whom i can recommend you to (don't worry, wala akong referral fees sa mga ganyan! hahaha!).

i'll look forward to your reply. god bless.

[spark]

thanks a lot for the help green grin.

i didn't think it would cost that much. anyways, i'm really deadset on having my surname changed so i'll just have to save up. i am currently living in Pasig, i hope you know someone who'll be willing to help. =)

[green grin]

my pleasure, spark.

if you're ready to do so, e-mail me at greengrin1111@yahoo.com. i have friends with law offices at the pasig area who can do this.

[spark]

just one last question:
can i choose the surname i want or do i have to choose from a certain list that the court would provide?

thanks a lot greengrin.

[green grin]

you get to choose your surname.


side story: there was a man named Mario Dimatigasan who petitioned the court for a name change. He wanted it changed to Elvis Dimatigasan.

[KuyaDanny]

I was beginning to wonder when that story would come up.

[PUGSLEY]

ATTY.GREEN GRIN with all due respect and with your permission please.

1. When the request for a change is a consequence of a change of status.

2. When the change is necessary to avoid confusion.

3. When the petition is to correct the name appearing in the registry of birth.

4. When the name is ridiculous, tainted with dishonor, or is difficult to write or pronounce.

5. To Remove the stigma of illegitimacy.

6. Desire to adopt Filipino name to erase signs of former alien nationality because it unduly hampers business and social life.

[PUGSLEY]

spark, you might want to check out Rule 103 of the Rules of Court.

[green grin]

Originally posted by KuyaDanny
I was beginning to wonder when that story would come up.

and i was beginning to wonder when i'd have the chance to say it.


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and thanks for the back-up, atty. pugsly!