How to Change your Name in Canada
Human beings often share deep, complex relationship with their own names. Some, like numerologists, may even argue that names have significant influence on an individual’s course of life. Whatever the case, people often wish to change the name they were given upon birth. If you are living in Canada and have been thinking of something on these lines, here is what you need to do in order to effect a legal name change.
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Reasons for changing your name
Most provinces may require you to state your reason for adopting a new name. Among the reasons why you can change your name are alterations in your marital or religious identity. You can change your name if it is of foreign origin and is too difficult to pronounce or write in the original form. A name that lends itself to ridicule or has become infamous for reasons beyond your control would also be eligible for change. It is upto a particular province to decide whether the reason for a request for name change is valid and evaluation guidelines vary among the provinces. For instance if a woman wants to take on her husband’s surname upon marriage, in Quebec she will have to go through the entire legal process whereas in other provinces she can simply use her Marriage Certificate as verification for a change in her surname. However all provinces enforce certain restrictions upon change of name. These include changing names too frequently, taking of a new name which will bring about reasonable confusion with others or for fraudulent purposes like avoiding financial obligations and criminal charges, . The last reason incidentally carries a significant fine that may range from $500 to $2,000, or even entail up to 90 days in jail.
Eligibility for changing your name
Since Canada has a distinct federal structure, laws governing change of name vary from one province to another. There are mainly two factors which influence eligibility for name change. These are:
Minimum age for legal name change in Canada
Any Canadian who has reached the age of majority for that particular province can apply for a name change. This age though is different for different provinces. In New Brunswick and British Columbia, Canadians must be nineteen years old to change their names while in Ontario they must be at least sixteen. In all other provinces the minimum age for application of name change is eighteen. Those younger than the required age, can still change their names if they have been married, have a common-law relationship, or have their guardian's consent, by submitting an application.
Place of residence
Apart from being of the right age, you must have either been born in the province or territory, or have lived there for a certain period of time before the application was submitted. This stipulate time period again varies according to the laws of a province and can range from three months to a year.
Documentation for legal name change in Canada
Once you are familiar with the laws governing change of name in your state, it is time to obtain the relevant application forms and fill them correctly. The application should conform to the Change of Name Act specific to your province or territory and after being properly filled, should be submitted to the appropriate government office. In the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Yukon this would be the agency of Vital Statistics. In case of Alberta, Newfoundland & Labrador and Ontario, you would need to submit your name change application to the Department of Government Services. For the Northwest Territories the concerned department would be the province’s Health and Social Services whereas in case of Nunavut, it would be the Court of Justice and for Quebec you would need to send it to the Registrar of Civil Status.
To effect a legal change of name in Canada, be prepared to go through some extensive documentation. Together with the duly completed application form, you will need to submit the original birth certificates and identity documents if you were born in Canada. On the other hand if you were born overseas, you will be required to provide immigration papers and a permanent resident card. In provinces like Alberta and British Columbia, you will also need to submit your fingerprints if you want to legally change your name.
At times you may also have to include the name of a guarantor or sponsor as part of your application process for change of name. This would be a person who has known you for over a year but is not related to you by blood.
Fees and Payment for changing your name
The legal process for change of name also requires you to pay certain fees to the relevant government department. The fee structure again varies from one province to another 1. Among the most expensive is Prince Edward Island where you would need to shell out $185 Canadian dollars for the application. In British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia the relevant fees range from $137 to $130. While Quebec and Saskatchewan charge $125 for change of name, in case of Alberta it is a slightly lower $120. For Newfoundland & Labrador and Yukon Territory the basic charges are $50 whereas in Manitoba you will have to pay $25 and in Northwest Territories a modest $10. In Nunavut, relevant charges are not applicable while in New Brunswick, fees vary depending on the type and number of changes requested in the same immediate family. In most provinces, there are additional charges for legal advice or services like fingerprinting. For instance even though the price of application form for change of name is $125 in Quebec, related administrative costs may go up to $300 or $400. A name change certificate is usually included in the application costs but you can order more copies for which the cost may vary between $15.00 and $22.00.
Usually after a legal change of name, the fact is published in a government gazette or similar public forum. However the change can be kept confidential if you believe that the publication can cause harm to you or your dependents as, for example, from a convicted offender or a former abusive partner.
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