Name Change Project Attorney Handbook for Allegheny County, PA Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc. 20 West 20th Street, Suite 705 New York, New York 10011 646.862.9396 AC Dumlao, Coordinator, Name Change Project [email protected] Revised April 23, 2018 by Namee Change Project the Pittsburgh office of: Recipient of 2015 New Initiative Award ACBA Pro Bono Achievement Awards TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION TO TLDEF AND THE NAME CHANGE PROJECT ........................ 1 A. About TLDEF ......................................................................................................... 1 B. Why The Name Change Project? ............................................................................ 1 C. How The Name Change Project Helps ................................................................... 2 D. TLDEF’s Appellate Work....................................................................................... 3 E. About This Handbook ............................................................................................. 3 II. WHO ARE NAME CHANGE PROJECT PARTICIPANTS? ........................................... 4 A. A Diverse Group Of Individuals ............................................................................. 4 B. Socioeconomic Status ............................................................................................. 4 III. INTERACTING WITH CLIENTS ..................................................................................... 5 A. Respecting Gender Identities .................................................................................. 5 B. Logistics of Firm/Corporate Culture ....................................................................... 6 C. Missed Appointments and Drop-Outs .................................................................... 6 D. Timeliness Of Name Changes ................................................................................ 7 IV. OVERVIEW OF THE NAME CHANGE PROCESS – ALLEGHENY COUNTY .......... 7 V. PENNSYLVANIA AND ALLEGHENY COUNTY NAME CHANGE LAW ................. 9 A. State Case Law ........................................................................................................ 9 B. Pennsylvania Statute ............................................................................................. 10 C. Local Civil Rule .................................................................................................... 11 D. No Other Requirements ........................................................................................ 11 VI. STARTING A NEW NAME CHANGE MATTER ......................................................... 12 VII. INITIAL MEETING WITH THE CLIENT ..................................................................... 13 A. What Client Should Bring ..................................................................................... 13 B. What To Discuss ................................................................................................... 14 VIII. OBTAINING A FINGERPRINT CARD ......................................................................... 16 IX. BIRTH CERTIFICATES .................................................................................................. 17 A. Ordering Pennsylvania Birth Certificates ............................................................. 18 B. Ordering Birth Certificates From Other States ..................................................... 19 X. DRAFTING THE NAME CHANGE PETITION ............................................................ 19 A. Cover Sheet ........................................................................................................... 20 B. Aliases ................................................................................................................... 20 i C. Middle & Last Names ........................................................................................... 21 D. Reason For Name Change .................................................................................... 22 E. Verification ........................................................................................................... 22 F. Exhibit A: Birth Certificate ................................................................................... 22 G. Proposed Orders .................................................................................................... 22 H. Waiver Of Publication Requirement ..................................................................... 23 I. Minor Petitioners .................................................................................................. 23 XI. IN FORMA PAUPERIS..................................................................................................... 24 XII. FILING THE NAME CHANGE PETITION ................................................................... 26 XIII. FINGERPRINT SEARCH ................................................................................................ 28 XIV. SCHEDULING THE HEARING ..................................................................................... 29 A. Motions Court ....................................................................................................... 29 B. Special Name Change Judge ................................................................................. 31 XV. PUBLICATION REQUIREMENT AND WAIVER ........................................................ 31 A. Publication Requirement ....................................................................................... 32 B. Waiver ................................................................................................................... 34 1. Seal and Waiver ........................................................................................ 36 2. Waiver Only .............................................................................................. 38 3. New Procedure to Waive Publication or Seal the Record and Waive Publication before the Special Name Change Judge ..................... 39 XVI. JUDGMENT SEARCH .................................................................................................... 43 A. Allegheny County Judgment Search ..................................................................... 43 B. Judgment Searches in Other Counties .................................................................. 44 1. Pennsylvania Counties .............................................................................. 44 2. Out-of-State Counties ............................................................................... 45 C. Outstanding Judgments ......................................................................................... 45 XVII. THE FINAL HEARING ................................................................................................... 46 XVIII. CERTIFIED COPIES OF THE NAME CHANGE ORDER ........................................... 48 XIX. FINAL STEPS .................................................................................................................. 49 A. Changing Official Documents .............................................................................. 49 B. Feedback To TLDEF ............................................................................................ 49 XX. APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 50 Appendix A: TLDEF Information Gathering Documents ............................................... 51 ii Appendix B: Name Change Statute, Local Civil Rules & Case Law .............................. 55 Appendix C: Sample Name Change Petition and Forms ................................................. 89 Appendix D: Birth Certificate and Criminal Record ..................................................... 111 Appendix E: In Forma Pauperis .................................................................................... 114 Appendix F: Publication Examples and Sample Waiver Motions ................................. 125 Appendix G: Name Change News Articles ................................................................... 200 iii Thank you for choosing to participate in the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund’s Name Change Project. This project provides transgender community members with free legal representation during the name change process. Since the Name Change Project’s inception in Spring 2007 in New York City, over 1,500 attorneys have participated in the program in multiple cities around the country.1 Over 2,700 people have sought assistance from the project, and at any given time there are hundreds of clients working with attorneys. This project would not be possible without the generous support of firms and attorneys like you. Thank you! I. INTRODUCTION TO TLDEF AND THE NAME CHANGE PROJECT A. About TLDEF Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing, and public policy efforts. You can learn more about TLDEF’s work at http://www.transgenderlegal.org. B. Why The Name Change Project? The Name Change Project came about because a great deal of the discrimination that transgender individuals face is due to a perceived mismatch between their birth names and their current appearance. A lack of appropriate identity