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Changing Your Name

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This site will give you everything you need to know about changing your name. 

We will provide you with all the  " know how "   to do it yourself including giving you direct access to the forms and how to go about the whole job yourself.  It will be easy.

There is no legal requirement to use any one particular name in New Zealand. You do not have to use your birth name. You do not have to use your married name.

However, sometimes it is necessary to produce a birth certificate for important documentation such as a passport and it would be wise always to have a copy of your birth certificate, and your marriage certificate if you are married, tucked away in a safe place.

You are not entitled to use an alias or a different name for fraudulent purposes. This means that you cannot dishonestly use someone else’s name or a false name.

It is against the law to give a Police Officer a false name if your name and address is lawfully requested.

It might be a criminal and a dishonest act if you gave a false name to Telecom in order to obtain a new phone if you knew that Telecom would not have given you a phone connection because previous non payments under another name.

If you wish to change your name on your birth certificate then this can only be done by way of a Deed Poll and this is a document which you fill in and file or register with the Registrar-General of Births Deaths and Marriages at PO Box 31-115, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

A fresh birth certificate will then be issued. For all official purposes this is your new name.

However, you do not entirely expunge or delete or cancel your old name because it still remains deep in the official records for the purpose of the double check which needs to be made by the Registrar-General if you apply for a marriage certificate.

An official check has to be made very privately that you are not marrying someone that you are not entitled to marry, such as your brother or sister.

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I was really helped by this topic, particular the instant link to at least 25 recent reported decisions of the Family Court. It really helps those who don't know how to look up this stuff. Thanks . . . Kathryn - Balclutha April 2006"

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"I see that the documents posted on the Family Court of New Zealand now differ to the ones posted on your site, example form A4 consent to adoption -http://www.justice.govt.nz/courts/family-court/documents/forms/pdf/A4.pdf/view?searchterm=form a4
It asks for different information on the front page, e..g deponent and with or without notice, what does all this mean, and how do I complete this part of the form?
Do you have a sample of one of these forms completed?
Regards
Steve"

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"Please advise - My partner pays his ex-wife child support every week. (The amount was agreed via a settlement agreement nutted out between lawyers at mediation.) Is this child support still payable on weeks when we have the children? (in school holidays we have the children for half of the time). It seems unfair for his ex-wife to be getting paid child support when we are supporting the children.
Netlaw replies - The access you enjoy in the holidays must be averaged out over the whole year. It does not apply on a weekly basis. That sounds unfair but that is the way it has been interpreted. "

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"I did my dissolution from all your documents and tips. JGH - Auckland - June 2007"
"Hi, great site! I need a bit more help. I need to serve dissolution papers on my ex-husband. However, he cannot be found. I can apply to the court to have them served on his mum instead using the form interlocutory application without notice AND filling in a general Affidavit form. I can't find any help for this on this pages. Also, do I put that my application for one party is made with or without notice? (first page).

Netlaw replies -You have obviously accessed our Dissolution site. Also access our Family Court Rules topic. Our basic documents are correct but you can double check them by going to the Dissolution topic and clicking on to the Direct Link to the Family Court Website. When that topic opens up, scroll down to FORMS, then on to LIST OF FORMS then on to FORMS UNDER FAMILY PROCEEDINGS ACT then down to Forms 11 and 12. Don't forget you have to add an Information Sheet and we have a topic Information Sheet. So that gets you started. 3 documents there.

Right, then go to our topic Family Court Rules and click on to those Rules through the Direct Link provided. When the Rules come up (a little longer if you are only on dial up) then choose Rule 126 which tells you all about substituted service. You need a simple Application (Without Notice) following the same format as your main Application and you need an Affidavit in Support of Application for Substituted Service. 2 documents. You do not need a second Information sheet.

Take your time. But put in the reasons why you need substituted service. Say where he might be, when you last had contact with him, where his extended family live etc. Cheers . . . . Netlaw

"

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"The best topic I have seen so far. Everything I needed. My lawyer said I needed to pay in $2000 to get the thing started. I did it myself. It took some effort but I got there. He did not defend it and now, thanks to Netlaw and the Court staff, I have my Order from the Court in my hand. Money well spent (Identity withheld) Auckland - June 2007"
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"Really useful. One letter (and some draft documents) from me did the trick. I did not need to go near a lawyer. The "other" person was my partner's "ex" and she followed me to work almost every day threatening me but not in a criminal way The Police said she had not committed a crime. My letter worked. She has not done it since but my response looked really professional. Thanks - Barbara - Tauranga "
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"Excellent. I found it easy too. I also looked at the Harrassment topic. It was very easy to understand. A local cop served the Trespass notice for me. He said they don't do it all the time but in my circumstances (urgency) the police were prepared to help. But your topic allowed me to do my own Notice and I really felt better for sticking up for myself. Donna - North Shore June 2007"
"Helpful for me. Thanks - Lee - Harwood"
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"Dear Net Law,
I am perplexed on a matter concerning challenging a will. My father is a very elderly man living in New Zealand, my mother passed away some 35 years ago; I have 6 siblings – 5 males - 1 female all well over the age of 18 years. My father has verbally informed me I shall not be a beneficiary, and/or at best in a minor way. I am not an executor of my fathers will nor have I have seen its contents. My father’s verbal communication has various versions dependent upon his mood. As I understand the situation from your website I can get a copy of my fathers will once probate has been granted and the will is in the public domain, hence one can then get a full understanding of the contents of the will. However how does one challenge a will once probate has been granted?

Netlaw advises: You must advise the executor of the will within 6 months that you intend making a claim and you have 12 months from probate being granted to lodge the claim. But do so as soon as you can.

Netlaw
"

"Dear Netlaw,
I have just found out that i have been left out of my grandparents will. I am 1 of 4 grandchildren and the others are named in the will. How successful might i be in contesting and what is the first step in this process - i am not sure at this point wether it is financially viable to contest as i may end up spending more money contesting through lawyers - your thoughts?
Thanks.

Netlaw replies: You are able to contest a will of a grandparent. Equal sharing is NOT one of the legal principles but the Family Court would want to know why you were left out. We have all the law and procedure on Netlaw but try a good look at the New Zealand Family Court website and look for headings under the Family Protection Act 1955 or "Contesting a Will". There is some good stuff on that website. You could do it yourself if you are prepared to spend a bit of time. There is a section on the Family Court website on representing yourself.

Hope this helps . . . Richard at Netlaw"

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