We were about to pay for one of those name change kit services until I found a free calculator called name change Calc. We plugged in our state and selected the reason and got the exact itemized breakdown of costs.
Turns out my state was $43 DIY. The service was gonna charge me $199 for basically filling out forms we were able to do ourselves in an afternoon.
The fee waiver Info loan was worth it as most states have them if your income is below a certain threshold and almost nobody knows to ask. Just ask the court clerk when you file
LPT: before you start the name, change process look up your states actual cost. My wife was quoted $200 by a service when it was $43 DIY.
byu/InsidersBets inFrugal
Posted by InsidersBets
4 Comments
I thought those services you pay for the convenience of not having to figure out and compile everything yourself.
Phenomenal tip. Here’s another: Before you order DoorDash, look up how much it costs to cook the same meal at home.
Depending on the state, those kits are completely pointless. In my state, the only difficult part is going into the social security office and getting an appointment at the DMV. You’re required to show up in person, so the kits won’t help. Everything else, like changing your name on your credit cards, banks, utilities, etc. can be changed at your convenience online or over the phone or by mail.
Total cost was $30 in IL, and I would have paid more if they were able to skip the in person appointments, but it’s just not an option.
Just dont change your name. No good reason too. Use both last names for kids. When a woman is educated and has a career, changing her name is like wiping her identity. Goes back to when women were oroperty.