THIS IS A SUMMARY OF LAW ON HOW TO CHANGE THE NAME OF A CHILD. IF YOU HAVE MATTERS RELATING TO THIS OR OTHER LEGAL SUBJECTS, BUT ARE NOT AN ATTORNEY, WE ADVISE YOU TO CONSULT WITH ONE.
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1. Determine whether or not you need to change the child's name. If the mother was single at the time of the child's birth and is now married to the child's natural father, a name change through the court may not be necessary if the child was born in Colorado. Contact the Vital Statistics Department to find out how to establish paternity and change the child's name on the birth certificate without a formal court proceeding.
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2. Obtain the proper forms from the Clerk of the Court at $2.00 each, or from a commercial printer. In the Metropolitan Denver you must determine which county you are in, because each has a separate courthouse and clerk's office. The City of Denver is actually "the City and County of Denver," and City Hall also serves as the courthouse. Other counties within easy commuting distance of Denver area installations are: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Jefferson, and Weld. In the areas around Lowry and Buckley there are some very unusual lines, because for many years The City and County of Denver was able to expand by annexing land in Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties. The end result is that there are some areas that are completely surrounded by Denver, which are actually in another county. Some of these areas are rural such as around the Airport, but some are quite urban, such as Glendale, which is part of Arapahoe County. The legislature has recently passed a law allowing the City of Bloomfield, which is partially in four different counties, to be like Denver, and be both city and county, so it might soon have its own courts as well. When you check on your address, do not rely on what the Postal Service lists, because it uses a regional system. For example, Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree are listed as Littleton, even though they are in Douglas County, while Littleton is the county seat for Arapahoe. Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village are listed by the postal service as Englewood, which is in Arapahoe County. The courthouse for Arapahoe County is in an unincorporated area with an Englewood mailing address, but it is about ten miles away from either Littleton or Englewood. Check your property tax papers, or ask your landlord, and then double-check on a map! Most of what remains of Lowry AFB is in Denver, while Buckley AFB is in Arapahoe County. The City of Aurora stretches through Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas Counties. The required Court forms are:
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3. Fill out the forms completely for each child whose name is being changed. A Petition is just a request to the Court asking the Judge to do something, such as directing a legal change of a name, by signing the Order directing as much. You of course, will make things easier for the judge,