How do I change my name on this website?

How easy it is to change my last name with a website like NewLastName.org?

• For a measly $30 or so they take care of all the filings and stuff involved with a legal name changes (at least according to their website). Well, that's a big deal for me because I live out of state ... but is this a scam or is it legitimate?

• Answer:

  It depends on where you live.  Name change procedures are done, and vary, on the state or local level.  Some places, you fill in a form, get it notarized, pay the fee (often around $100 - $150 dollars), and wait for the decree (my personal experience).  No matter what, once you get the decree, you're going to have to do legwork: go to the state motor vehicle department to get your state ID changed, go to the Vital Records department wherever you were born to amend your birth certificate, go to the SSA to get a new SocSec card, and work with the State Department if you have a passport; and notify your bank, your employer's HR department, your credit card companies and other creditors if any.  I don't think NewLastName is going to save you any time waiting in line at the DMV or SSA, and I really think the $30 is going to be on top of whatever the fee at the Probate Court or whatever is going to be. (Note: if you have a passport, you can skip amending your birth certificate if it's inconvenient.  A U.S. passport is gold-standard ID and does the job wherever a birth certificate is asked for, as it proves both citizenship and identity.) I'm as sure as I can be without actually examining the site closely that what they're selling is more the illusion of convenience than actual convenience.  These days, you can probably find PDFs of all the relevant forms online yourself, in half an hour or so.