According to the law and national customs of Russia, each of its citizens acquires and exercises their rights and is responsible for their own actions under their own name (surname, name and patronymic). You can get a surname in five ways: at birth, marriage, divorce, adoption, and at will. Consider the latter case, which is of the greatest interest. It is the most difficult and takes the most time.
This case concerns how to change a surname if it is dissonant or causes emotional discomfort due to personal reasons (difficult relationships with relatives bearing this surname, etc.).
According to the law, you can change your last name only at the age of 14. Children under this age can do this only with the consent of their parents (guardians, adoptive parents).
In most cases, a person who begins to be interested in how to change a surname does not quite clearly imagine how the procedure goes. According to the Civil Code, a surname can be changed in the manner prescribed by law. It should be remembered that this will not become the basis for the termination of the rights and obligations of a citizen that he had under his previous name (surname).
For the correct implementation of the procedure, the statement “I want to change the name” is not enough, you will need to draw up a number of documents and go through some very complicated procedures.
Before changing your name, you must notify your debtors and creditors of your plans. Otherwise, all responsibility for the risks associated with the consequences caused by the lack of information from these persons will fall on you.
A name change is registered in accordance with the general rules for the preparation of acts of civil status. To do this, you must contact the registry office, having previously paid the state fee in the amount of one minimum wage. The registry office draws up a written application in the prescribed form (can be taken from employees) indicating the reasons for the change of surname, your place of residence and marital status. Consideration of the application takes about a month. Therefore, you must immediately find out the date when you can find out the answer to the application.
The main points related to how to change the name can be found in the registry office itself, or you can prepare for this yourself. In addition to the application, a package of documents will be required from you, which consists of a passport, a birth certificate, a marriage certificate (if you are a member of it) or a divorce certificate (if you need to return a premarital name), birth certificates of minor children.
After changing the surname, you have the right to demand that you make the appropriate changes to documents previously issued to you for the previous surname (at your expense). These changes are required because old documents become invalid after the procedure. Changes to the driver’s license and medical insurance policy will be made quickly, but changing a certificate and a diploma is not easy.
How to change the surname of a child older than 14 years old, but under the age of majority? This will require the consent of both parents. If the parents live separately, then in the process of assigning him the last name of the parent with whom he lives, the guardianship body, acting on the side of the interests of the child, takes into account the opinion of the other parent. If it is impossible to establish the whereabouts of the second parent or if he is deprived of parental rights, incompetent or evades the upbringing and maintenance of the child, his opinion shall not be taken into account.
If you want to know how to change your last name without encountering special difficulties, then pay attention to this point. Consider choosing a new surname before contacting the registry office. The choice should be rational and logical. Do not choose the names of politicians, scientists and other celebrities, too complex or foreign surnames, because this option is most likely not to be approved. So you have to spend a lot of time waiting for an answer (up to two months).