(0:00 – 0:14)
Hi everyone, welcome to another Family Law Matters. I’m Dr. Michael Mantell, joining Bonnie Rabinovitch-Mantel, who is the owner and managing partner of the Primus Family Law Group. Hi Bonnie.

(0:15 – 0:53)
Hi Michael, how are you doing today? I’m doing well, I’m doing well. Bonnie, an interesting question which I think some people may not automatically think of as a family law issue, but indeed it is. So, I wake up one day and I look at my driver’s license and my real ID and I see all this stuff and it says Michael Robert Mantel.

I don’t like that name, I want to change it. And my wife says, no, I don’t like, I like it, let’s keep it that way, but I want to change my name. Tell me about how Primus Family Law Group can help me deal with that.

(0:54 – 1:33)
Well, actually you can change your name, you’re an adult, and unless there’s nobody who opposes it for valid reasons other than, you know, your wife saying I don’t want to, you can change your name and we know how to do that for you. We actually do that as a flat fee service because there’s rarely a court hearing and as long as you’re not trying to change your name for criminal purposes, like to avoid tax back taxes or to avoid, you know, criminal charges, then it’s pretty easy process. What becomes complicated is when you want to change your child’s name that’s still a minor.

(1:34 – 2:01)
But again, as long as there’s no opposition and we do have to publish that you’re changing your name so that we find out whether there’s any opposition, then yes, it can still be done that way. And it’s often a lot of people realize that actually they can’t get a real ID because their birth certificate says something and their license says something else. So they need to fix it.

(2:01 – 2:29)
So if a couple is separated or divorced and he or she decides I don’t want to call this little kid, you know, whatever his name is anymore, I want to call it this name. Unless the spouse or the former spouse agrees, you can’t do it. Now, what about in transgender issues? I grew up being, you know, Michelle, and now I’m Michael, I identify as Michael.

(2:30 – 2:55)
Any issue with that? Nope, as long as you are, there’s no opposition, you’re an adult, you can do that. We take care of that as well, especially, you know, when there was the concern about the laws changing and that kind of situation. So we were we take care of that as well and get that done for people who want to be recognized by their chosen identity.

(2:55 – 3:11)
Let me just go down the road a little bit further. So if parents have a child who’s Michelle and Michelle now identifies as Michael and the parents say, no, we don’t agree with that. That child, what age can say, I don’t care, I’m doing it.

(3:12 – 3:26)
Eighteen. Eighteen. And what if in a married couple, she’s Bonnie and she wants to change her name to Becky or something, but the husband says, no, I married Bonnie.

(3:27 – 3:41)
Can he, does that opposition? So he can make an opposition and that would result in a court hearing. And then the court would hear the merits of why Bonnie wants to be Becky, which would never be the name I choose. I couldn’t think of another one.

(3:41 – 3:47)
We’ll pick that later. And then the court would have to decide. OK, I see.

(3:47 – 4:04)
But usually what comes through our office is a lot of uncontested because it’s, you know, people who are just use the wrong name their whole life and now they need to fix it or everybody’s in agreement to change the minor’s name. And there’s no issue with that. Uh-huh.

(4:04 – 4:28)
Very interesting. If people have questions about changing their name or their children want to change their name, it’d be a good idea to check with you. How can they be in touch and get some information? They can reach us at 619-574-8000, or they can reach us online at www.PrimusFamilyLaw.com. There’s a live chat agent online.

(4:28 – 4:36)
There’s my staff at the office. You’ll get on our calendar for a free 30 minute phone or Zoom consultation on how we can easily change your name.