Legal Name Change
Flat $500 in San Jose
After a marriage or divorce, for your child, or to finally match who you are — and stuck on the court paperwork, the filing, and the newspaper notice? Miss one step and the court sends it back. We prepare every document, file it for you, and walk you to the signed decree.
As a Registered Legal Document Assistant, TruPoint prepares and files a complete name-change case for adults and minors across California — start to finish, at your direction, one flat fee instead of a lawyer’s hourly bill.
Everything Your Name Change Needs
One flat fee covers document preparation, court filing, and guidance through publication to your signed decree — for adults and minors, in three languages.
Per Petition
Minors
Spoken
Typical
Meet Quinnie Do
Quinnie is a registered Legal Document Assistant, a registered IRS Tax Preparer, and a commissioned Notary Public, and has guided San Jose families through name changes for adults and children for years. A native Vietnamese speaker, she serves clients in English and Vietnamese, with Spanish through an on-staff partner, and prepares every document at your direction — one flat fee, never by the hour.
How Do You Legally Change Your Name in California?
To legally change your name in California, you file a name-change request with the Superior Court in your county, publish a notice in an approved newspaper for four weeks, and receive a signed decree from a judge — the document every agency accepts as proof. As of 2026, the court filing fee is about $450 and newspaper publication runs roughly $60 to $100. TruPoint, a Registered Legal Document Assistant in San Jose, prepares and files the full case for adults and minors at a flat $500 — far below the $650 to $1,500 a California attorney typically charges — and most uncontested cases are decided without you ever appearing in court.
Why People Change Their Name
A Name That Finally Fits Your Life
Whatever the reason, the paperwork is the same — and we handle all of it.
A Fresh Start After Divorce
Restore your maiden name or a former name — even if the divorce was finalized years ago and the name was never restored. You can also choose a completely new name.
A New Chapter After Marriage
When a marriage license alone doesn’t cover the name you want — a hyphenated surname, a blended family name, or a fresh combination — a court name change makes it official.
A Name That Reflects You
Align your legal name with your identity, correct a long-misspelled record, or update a child’s name. You tell us the name you want; we prepare it from there.
One flat fee, whether you’re changing your own name or your child’s.
Who We Prepare Name Changes For
Built for Every Situation
After Divorce
Restore a maiden or former name, or choose a new one entirely.
After Marriage
For the name a marriage license alone could not cover.
For a Minor Child
A parent or guardian can change a child’s name with the court.
Identity & Corrections
Match your name to your gender identity, or fix a record that never matched.
How It Works
Your Name Change, Start to Finish
Nine clear steps. You direct the name you want; we handle the documents, the filing, and the guidance through to your signed decree.
Complete the Intake Form
You tell us your current name, the new name you want, and the reason on our online intake form. For a child, you note each parent’s consent.
We Review Your Information
We check everything you submit for accuracy and confirm the correct court and county for your case.
Secure Payment
We send a payment link to collect our flat $500 fee plus the $450 court filing fee, so your case is ready to file with nothing outstanding.
We Prepare It; You E-Sign
We prepare your complete name-change case and send it to you to review and sign electronically — no printing, no office trip required.
We File With the Court
We file your signed case with the Superior Court in your county and confirm it’s been accepted.
You Receive a Hearing Date
The court sets a hearing date. For most uncontested cases this is a no-appearance date — you don’t have to go.
You Publish the Notice
You arrange the required notice with an approved newspaper, once a week for four weeks (about $60–$100). Some cases qualify to skip this step.
The Judge Signs Your Decree
After publication, the judge signs your decree changing your name. You may attend the hearing if you wish, but most people don’t need to.
Update Your Records
Use the certified decree to change your name with Social Security, the DMV, your passport, your bank, and any other agency.
Simple, Published Pricing
One Flat Fee. No Hourly Surprises.
Most providers either bill by the hour or hide the court and publication costs. Here is everything, in the open — the same whether your case is simple or detailed.
TruPoint Preparation & Filing
Adults and minors. The complete case prepared, filed, and guided to your decree.
- Online intake and full document preparation
- Review, e-sign, and court filing handled for you
- Adults and minor children included
- English, Vietnamese, and Spanish service
- Guidance through publication and the decree
Court Filing Fee
Set by the Superior Court, not by TruPoint.
- Collected at intake with your fee
- Passed through to the court, dollar for dollar
- A fee waiver may be available for limited incomes
Newspaper Publication
Paid to an approved journal for the four-week notice.
- Runs once a week for four weeks
- Cost varies by the newspaper you choose
- Some cases qualify to skip this step
Our $500 is a flat fee per petition. A single petition can include an adult and their minor children filed together. The $450 court fee and the $60–$100 publication cost are set by the court and the newspaper — TruPoint collects them at intake and passes them through at cost.
Most Name Changes Need No Court Appearance
California decides the great majority of uncontested name changes on a no-appearance basis — the judge reviews and signs your decree without you ever standing in a courtroom. You arrange the newspaper notice, and once the four weeks are done, your decree is signed.
If someone objects — which can happen in a child’s case — the court may set a hearing you attend. We prepare your case so it’s complete and ready for the smoothest possible path.
- A complete, signed petition on file
- A published notice (four weeks)
- A judge’s signed decree
TruPoint vs. Doing It Alone
Why San Jose Families Choose TruPoint
The court forms are free — but the missed dates, kicked-back filings, and the four-week publication you have to track yourself are where do-it-yourself cases stall. Attorneys do it for you, but charge $650 to $1,500. We sit in between: prepared and filed for you, at a flat $500.
On Your Own
- You assemble every document yourself, with no review
- A wrong fee or missing page gets the case kicked back
- You track the filing, the hearing date, and the four-week notice
- Mistakes cost weeks — sometimes a refiling
- No one to call when the court asks for something
TruPoint Prepares It
- Every document prepared and checked before it’s filed
- Filed with the court for you, the same week you finish intake
- We guide the publication step and the path to your decree
- Adults and minor children, one flat fee
- A real San Jose office — English, Vietnamese, and Spanish
Right Next Door
After Your Decree, Update Your Prints
A new legal name is only fully in place once your background records match it. Our sister office, Fingerscan Digital, runs Live Scan at the same San Jose location — so once your decree is signed, your fingerprint records and clearances can be re-taken under your new name without a second trip across town.
It’s the natural last step for clients who work in fields that require a current background check.
Fingerscan Digital — Same Office
- Live Scan re-fingerprinting under your new name
- Walk-in friendly, same San Jose address
- Call (408) 766-3528 — a separate line from TruPoint
Questions People Ask
Name Change in California, Answered
TruPoint charges a flat $500 to prepare and file your full name-change case in San Jose, for adults and minors. On top of that you pay the court filing fee of about $450 and newspaper publication of roughly $60 to $100, both collected at intake and passed through at cost. A California attorney typically charges $650 to $1,500 for the same work.
For most uncontested name changes, no. California courts decide the great majority of adult cases on a no-appearance basis, so a judge signs your decree without you ever standing in court. If someone objects — which can happen in a child’s case — the court may set a hearing you attend. We prepare your case so it’s complete and ready for a smooth no-appearance decision.
Yes. A parent or guardian can ask the court to change a minor child’s name. Both parents are usually given notice, and if one does not consent or objects, the court may set a hearing. We prepare name-change cases for minors as well as adults at the same flat $500, and note each parent’s consent at intake.
Most California name changes take about two to three months from filing to a signed decree. The timeline depends on the court’s calendar and the four-week newspaper publication period. We prepare and file your case the same week you complete intake, so the only wait is the court and the publication step.
In most cases, yes. California asks for a notice of the name change to run in an approved newspaper once a week for four weeks before the hearing, which costs about $60 to $100. Certain situations — such as a change to match your gender identity, or where publication would create a safety risk — can qualify to skip this step.
Yes. You can restore a former or maiden name, and you can do it even if your divorce was finalized years ago and the name was not restored at the time. You’re also free to choose an entirely different new name through a name-change case. We prepare either path for a flat $500.
Yes. A Registered Legal Document Assistant prepares and files your complete name-change case at your direction, without the cost of an attorney. TruPoint is run by Quinnie Do, LDA #268, a registered and bonded Legal Document Assistant in Santa Clara County whose registration is verifiable with the county. You direct the new name you want; we prepare every document the court requires.
Yes. California provides a clear path to change your legal name to align with your gender identity, and these cases can often be handled without publishing a newspaper notice. We prepare the full case at your direction for a flat $500, in English, Vietnamese, or Spanish.
You can change your first, middle, or last name, restore a former name, take a spouse’s or partner’s name, or choose an entirely new name — as long as the change isn’t for a fraudulent or unlawful purpose. You tell us the exact name you want, and we prepare the case from there.
Once the judge signs your decree, you use a certified copy as your proof of the new name. Take it to update Social Security, the DMV and your driver’s license, your passport, your bank, your employer, and any other agency. A new legal name is also a good time to refresh your fingerprint records through Live Scan.
Yes. Our office is in San Jose and we serve Santa Clara County and clients across California. Because the intake, review, and signing all happen online, you can complete most of your name-change case from anywhere in the state, in English, Vietnamese, or Spanish.
Ready to Start Your Name Change?
Begin your intake form now and we’ll take it from there — confirm your new name, lay out the court and publication costs, and prepare everything for you, one flat fee, no hourly billing, no surprises.
San Jose, CA 95123
Sat by appointment