If you live in Los Angeles County and want to change your name, you will appreciate this improvement to the process. The court is now publishing its tentative decision on the court website under the Civil section of the page, as a tentative ruling. The procedure at the website  has recently be changed to only publishing a tentative decision, if the tentative decision is to deny the change. This is published one to two days before the the hearing date. By typing in your case number you can see if your name change was not approved. If the name change is approved, then neither you or your attorney need appear. If the name change does not show as approved, then you or your attorney must appear at the name change hearing or the case will probably be dismissed. It is important that you verify for yourself that this procedure is still in effect as the court can and will change the procedure without notice. For more information about the name change procedure in Los Angeles and Orange Counties visit the name change page.
