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WANT TO CHANGE YOUR NAME LEGALLY?
NO PROBLEM.
  • Anyone may change their name at any time to anything they want.
  • You may not change your name for any illegal purpose such as fraud.
  • Strictly speaking you do not even have to register your name change, but then you would not have suitable documentation to prove your identity.
  • Changing your name is simple, cheap and can be done without a lawyer.
We apologize for listing only the Ontario contacts here. Of course everyone knows that Toronto and Ontario is the centre of the universe. but we will add the other provinces as we locate the information. (We sent out courier du bois to get the information last spring and should here from them sometime soon. . . unless the natives got them.)

How do I change my name in Ontario?
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
There are different kinds of changes of name in Ontario, and the Office of the Registrar General (ORG) says it will help ( if they are not on break?) you decide which one is appropriate under your given circumstances. For information, call the ORG at 1- 800- 461- 2156, or from the Toronto area: (416) 325- 8305. If you do not get bounced from one voice mail to another and told that "I don't know, I only work here," you may get some answers over the phone. Yeah... right.

Contact the Office of the Registrar General of Ontario at
 Snail Mail : Office of the Registrar General
189 Red River Road, P.O. Box 4600
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6L8

24-hour service available for leaving message requesting application forms by mail.

1-800-461-2156 Toll-free in Ontario
Tel: (416) 325- 8305 Toronto local calling area and Out of Province calls
Fax: (807) 343-7459
Email

PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE
Custodial parents often try to move away in secret in order to prevent access by the non custodial parent. Here are some things you can do to protect your children and your access rights. A change of name, an application for a passport are usually signs that the custodial parent is planning to disappear with your children.
Is your child missing? Here's help

It is easier to prevent your children from being parentally abducted then it is to get them returned to Canada after the fact. Any prudent, non custodial parent should take these steps to protect their children and their access rights.

    HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF MY CHILD'S NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED?
    Birth Death and Marriage Certificates
  • Simply apply for a copy of the child's birth certificate if s/he was born in that province.

  • You may also request that a search be done for any change of name. The cost is only $15.00 for each five year long search in Ontario. If your child's name has been changed without your knowledge, this search will let you know.

      HAS A PASSPORT BEEN TAKEN OUT IN MY CHILD'S NAME?
    • If you have an access order (or custody) you can request that the Department of External Affairs, which issues all passports, refuse to issue a passport to your minor children without your written permission.

    • You should also contact American customs and alert them to the possibility that your child may be abducted across the border.

      [CanLaw] DIVORCED? Need proof of your divorce?

      Just fill out and submit this free request form.

      How do you tell when a civil servant is winking? She opens one eye.
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