Name change seems to be a trivial thing, but this is not the case in Quebec. Envisaging the complications, you might be better off with a lawyer for this process.
Complicated name change process
Name change is virtually banned in Quebec. One cannot get a name change simply because he or she wants to. One should fit within one of not so many exceptions. And even then, often the Registrar of Civil Status would refuse to proceed, leaving the applicant with the only option to go to the Superior Court and try to argue the case there. Maybe this is not the best option, but what’s left is to give up. If giving up is not what you want, the help of a name change lawyer becomes particularly useful.
Exceptions
Yet the best name change lawyer would not simply be the one knowing the rules, but the one who’d help with some proper and meticulous preparation to improve and solidify your chances. In cases like that evidence is the key. Among others, you might have religious or psychological grounds, you might be ridiculed because of your name, your name might be associated with a nefarious story (having nothing to do with you, but rather with the same name) or you can prove that you already used another name exclusively and coherently for years. In every case, it is not enough to simply “say so”, you’d need to collect and submit particular documents showing that you fit with the exception.
Public nature of a name change
You should also remember that the name change process is public with rather easily accessible records. Therefore, a name change process in Quebec is not the best option if the idea was to disappear. In special cases (let’s say you were constantly harassed by somebody), you might obtain a Court order to make yet another exception for you and hide your record. But again, you’ll need to prove the special nature of your case. And again, finding a name change lawyer might be a very good option.
