Obtaining a court order after filing a Petition for Change of Name might take up to three months. You begin by submitting your petition. Then you will be given a court date that is between 6 and 12 weeks away. On the day of your hearing, the judge will either grant or deny your request. If granted, then your new name becomes effective immediately. You can file one change of name petition if you want to change your name to another person's last name or if you want to combine your own name with that of another person (such as John Doe Jr. becoming John Doe III). Filing fees are $60 for individuals and $120 for corporations. These funds must be sent to the county clerk's office with your petition. Your new name may not be used until it has been officially changed by a court order. For example, if you choose the name "John Doe IV" then the previous owner of this name would be able to file a lawsuit against you. Generally, it takes about six months to change your name. This time period includes waiting for the court order and filing the necessary documents with the court. After the name change, it can take some time for all legal documents to be updated with the new name and for any problems that may have arisen because of the name change to be resolved.