I'm at my wits end... any help will be appreciated (fingerprints, attorney)

[MooreRun]

My question is, is there any way to change an adult name legally in Texas? I mean the full name. I have a friend that has been running from an abusive ex-husband for years. She has moved constantly and stayed on low profile for the last 2 years. She was afraid to get a job or do anything else that requires using her name or identification numbers. We have helped her by having savings accounts set up for her that she keeps her money in and withdrawing it when she needs it. We also did this to get her a place to stay, a back up safety location, cell phone, or anything else that requires identification. Her ex had been arrested for homicide about 2 years ago and we felt that he would be in jail for a long time. We found out recently that he was aqquitted of the charges and is back on the street. She is afraid and tired of having to run all the time. She is safe for now, but there has already been inquires from his family and friends to us about her where abouts. The only thing she hasn't tried is starting over as a new person (so to speak). Please provide and information you can...

[getmeoutofhere]

Why not just shoot him? Texas is pretty accepting of the "some people just need killing" argument.

Aside from that, yes, you can legally petition the courts for a name change, but I believe it is a matter of public record.

In the state of Texas, an adult who wishes to change his or her name must be a resident of Texas for at least six months and must file a Petition in the District Court of the county where he or she resides and must be a resident of said County for at least ninety days as detailed above. The Petition informs the Court of the Petitioner's name, the name the Petitioner wishes to assume, the reasons for the change and other personal information required by statute. The Petition must be notarized.
A party filing a Petition for name change for an adult shall present to the District Court, upon filing of the Petition, a set of fingerprints of the person whose name is to be changed. The Petitioner shall be responsible for the costs of obtaining fingerprints and other costs which may be incurred upon filing.
Once you file your Petition for name change, you should schedule a time to ask the Judge to approve your name change. At this time, the Court shall proceed at chambers to hear and determine all matters raised by the Petition and to render final judgment or decree thereon. The Court may then proceed to enter an Order of approval of name change.
The granting of a Petition for change of name is discretionary with the Court, and the Court may deny a Petition on grounds, which would not constitute lawful objection. For an Order of name change to be granted, the Court must find sufficient reasons for the change and also find the name change in the interest or to the benefit of the Petitioner and in the interest of the public. A person is not allowed to change their name in order to avoid judgments or legal actions against him or her, or to avoid debts and obligations. A person cannot change their name to defraud another person.

Texas Name Change FAQ




You can do it yourself as long as it is uncontested.

[happy-robot]

Why doesn't your friend just move out of state to somewhere else? Regardless of the emotional or financial ties she may have to Texas if her ex is that dangerous it's not worth her life to stay here.

And she should change her name anyway and before she gets to another location. Changing her name to something generally common will make it more difficult for him to track her.

[stillkit]

Best advice? See a lawyer.

[jaxart]

Here's the crux of the process:

Overview of Process in Texas

In the state of Texas, an adult who wishes to change his or her name must be a resident of Texas for at least six months and must file a Petition in the District Court of the county where he or she resides and must be a resident of said County for at least ninety days as detailed above. The Petition informs the Court of the Petitioner's name, the name the Petitioner wishes to assume, the reasons for the change and other personal information required by statute. The Petition must be notarized.
A party filing a Petition for name change for an adult shall present to the District Court, upon filing of the Petition, a set of fingerprints of the person whose name is to be changed. The Petitioner shall be responsible for the costs of obtaining fingerprints and other costs which may be incurred upon filing.
Once you file your Petition for name change, you should schedule a time to ask the Judge to approve your name change. At this time, the Court shall proceed at chambers to hear and determine all matters raised by the Petition and to render final judgment or decree thereon. The Court may then proceed to enter an Order of approval of name change.
The granting of a Petition for change of name is discretionary with the Court, and the Court may deny a Petition on grounds, which would not constitute lawful objection. For an Order of name change to be granted, the Court must find sufficient reasons for the change and also find the name change in the interest or to the benefit of the Petitioner and in the interest of the public. A person is not allowed to change their name in order to avoid judgments or legal actions against him or her, or to avoid debts and obligations. A person cannot change their name to defraud another person.
The law which governs name changes in Texas is Texas Family Code, chapter 45. This information can be reviewed here: Texas Name Change Laws.

[Houston3]

I did over 30 years ago and it took less than a minute in front of a judge... But I did have an attorney handle the paper work.... the judge asked me why I was doing it and that was it....