[SIZE=3]What’s in a name?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3](Correcting minor civil registry errors)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]What’s in a name?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]A rose by any other name would smell as sweet …[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Just ask Prince formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. Or Engelbert Humperdinck, born Arnold Dorsey. Or Sean Combs / Puff Daddy / P.Diddy / Diddy. And there are of course mere mortals who just want to correct mistakes in their name made by a blundering nurse or some flash of imagination by a relative thinking an obscure 13th century saintly reference in the baby’s name would keep him on the straight and narrow. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]If you cringe each time someone discovers your full name (or you want a name to reflect a “change” in your life), the civil registrar’s office may just be able to help you, being itself authorized (1) to correct clerical or typographical errors and (2) to change first names or nicknames in the civil register. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Grounds for correction/change[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]First of all, only a clerical or typographical in the civil register that is (1) harmless and innocuous (e.g. incorrect spelling) which is (2) visible to the eyes or obvious to the understanding, and (3) can be corrected only by reference to other existing record/s, shall be allowed to be corrected. Plus, “no correction must involve the change of nationality, age, status or *** of the petitioner.” So, Josephine, if you were born Jose, then a male you will remain in your birth records.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]On the other hand, the grounds for change of first name or nickname are a little more subjective[/SIZE]


[SIZE=3][/SIZE]


[SIZE=3]Read on from The Legally Inclined blog at http://thelegallyinclined.wordpress.com. Feel free to forward the link to your friends and colleagues. And leave some feedback if you can.[/SIZE]