Missouri

• This form will establish you (whichever parent is doing the filing) as the 'Next Friend.' Next Friend is a legal term for someone who will represent another (in this case, the minor) in court proceedings.

Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court. CLICK HERE

***The parent who is designated 'Next Friend" will fill this document out in front of a notary. Members of this group are Missouri notaries and can provide the free service. You can usually find a notary at a bank, too.

***You do not need an attorney! Simply leave the attorney information section blank.

This form looks very similar to the judgment, but they are different and both need to be filed. Some questions in this document may seem irrelevant or confusing. While we cannot give you legal advice, we have noted parts of the document that interest us.

• Questions 1-6 refer to the parent's information.

  • Question #6 will indicate to the court whether or not a notice of hearing needs to be sent to the other parent. This may occur in cases where one parent has limited communication with the minor and/or did not complete the Consent to Name Change form found above.

• Questions 7-20 refer to the minor's information.

• #13 is one of the ways the court can easily figure out if a name change is necessary. Reasons that work well as a reason to change one's name can be (mixing and matching these is definitely possible, and if they do not fit your reason, do what works best for you): 

1. 1. [NEW NAME] is the name they are known as [and have been using for ____ years].
   2. [NEW NAME] is the name they are known as, and would like their  legal name to better align with their gender identity.
   3. They want their name to be consistent on all important documents.
   4. They want to update their name to reflect my religious beliefs.

• #18 is asking if the court needs to keep the case confidential from publishing. Many people in the trans, non-binary, and other communities have faced discrimination laid out in this question. If someone has experienced these, they do not need to publish their name change in the newspaper (see below in the Publish section) No addition documentation about any abuse or discrimination must be provided to the court if these boxes are selected.

• We want to preface that the courts do not investigate these when marked for ADULTS. For MINORS, the ideas of child abuse and domestice violence may be seen by the court as more dangerous. They may call in investigators for the family. We want to caution this because the parents are involved in the process for minors vs. adults. 

• #19 and #20 are talking about a money judgment that has been signed by the judge and closed. It is unlikely there are money judgments against minors. These do not include any judgments or orders against the parents.

Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court. CLICK HERE

• This form is to service by publication to the other parent. If the other parent is unconsenting, this is to get them to know about the name change. If the other parent is consenting, this form still needs to be filled out, but it has less of a role.

Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court.  CLICK HERE

There are two ways to pay for the name change process:

• A person can pay for it themselves or get the funding from community. Make sure you have the funds in CASH (debit/credit usually not accepted).

  • Depending on the county, the average cost ranges from about $120 to $180. Check with your local clerk to see how much it will cost.

  • For St. Louis City, it is $177.50. To service a parent and or publish, there are additional fees. 

• The courts have an option for people to "File as a Poor Person" in a process called In Forma Pauperis.

  • This document may need to be signed by a judge before filing all the documents. 

  • The court may tell you to go to a specific judge, but any judge can sign this form.

Here is the link where the form can be found, completed, and printed before filing as pro se documents with the court.  CLICK HERE

YAY! You filled out all the forms. Now, you can go to the court in your county and get it done. 

• Take the papers to the county clerk in the county courthouse. (Some counties require you to file everything online, so make sure you ask!) You will typically be assigned a court date for your request to be heard.

• Since you are representing your child without an attorney, your county may require you to watch a video in person or online

• If you are "Filing as a Poor Person," you may have a additional step to take by talking to a judge before filing to obtain a signature on the fee waiver form.

• After you file everything, it will take about four-six weeks. The court will mail you the judgment. If it was successful, you will receive two copies of the judgment to do the next steps of the process for your minor's birth certificate, ID, social security, and all other documents.

• Read our After the Courts page for more details!