If you are divorced and have any children there may come a point that might wish to change the name of those children, and if so, given the legal complexities, you should certainly consult your family lawyers.

The reason for that is that even though you may have sole responsibility for the child, there are a number of legal requirements that must be met before you will be allowed to change the name of your child.

Let us start with how the basic process works in Western Australia, and in the first instance, you would only make an application here if that is where the child’s birth was registered. If their birth was registered in a different state, your application needs to be made there.

If they were registered in WA, your application needs to be sent to the Western Australian Registry of Birth Deaths and Marriages. It is here where the registrar will make the ultimate decision with regard to your application.

It should be noted that there are several different application forms which are each applicable to the specific reason why you wish to change your child’s name, and what details you wish to change. This which refers to whether it is their first name, or their family name that is changing.

Continue reading “What Happens If You Want To Change Your Child’s Name After Divorce?” →