A name change is a legal process in every country where a person applies for a new name due to different reasons including numerology, adoption, marriage, or error in the old name. The name change is regulated by State laws in almost every country. It requires a person to make an affidavit, a newspaper advertisement, and a Gazette notification. 

Out of these three requirements, the newspaper advertisement is very necessary and it is needed to further process your application until you get a new name. Below are some legal reasons why newspaper ads are important for changing the name of a person.

Advertising The Name Change Notice

The legal procedure requires you to publish a notice regarding your name change to let people know that you are going to change your name. It acts like a grant that the court has chosen you to change your name. The law allows you to advertise the notice in the newspapers within 60 days of your affidavit approval. There are many newspaper agencies that manage the change of name ads in newspapers and Gazettes.

Newspaper Ads Are Legal Notice

This is the main reason that the law asks applicants to publish ads in the newspaper. The newspaper ads regarding name change acts as a legal notice to make a public record. People to whom you might have legal responsibility, must know that you are going to change your name. In addition, the ads are published to curb anyone who is changing the name to avoid debts, commit fraud and defame others. In most cases, nobody objects but the law considers it mandatory to avoid any legal mishap.

Exception in Publishing Newspaper Ads

There are also some exceptions that don’t allow you to publish a notice in newspapers. But India has no exception to avoid newspaper ads for the name change. It is mandatory and legalized here. 

In some countries, you don’t have publish if you are doing it for the sole purpose of adapting your own sex or gender identity. If you are a part of the address confidentiality program, then you are not allowed to publish ads. But you need to explain to the court, why you can not publish name change ads. It can be explained through provided forms and attachments to the petition of name changes.