Section 19-12-1. Petition for name change; notice of filing; consent of minor's parents or guardian; service on parents or guardian; time of hearing; judgment; clerk's fees

   (a) Any person desirous of changing his name or the name or names of his minor child or children may present a petition to the superior court of the county of his residence, setting forth fully and particularly the reasons why the change is asked, which petition shall be verified by the petitioner.

(b) Within seven days of the filing of the petition, the petitioner shall cause a notice of the filing, signed by him, to be published in the official legal organ of the county once a week for four weeks. The notice shall contain therein the name of the petitioner, the name of the person whose name is to be changed if different from that of the petitioner, the new name desired, the court in which the petition is pending, the date on which the petition was filed, and the right of any interested or affected party to appear and file objections.

(c) If the petition seeks to change the name of a minor child, the written consent of his parent or parents if they are living and have not abandoned the child, or the written consent of the child's guardian if both parents are dead or have abandoned the child, shall be filed with the petition, except that the written consent of a parent shall not be required if the parent has not contributed to the support of the child for a continuous period of five years or more immediately preceding the filing of the petition.

(d) In all cases, before a minor child's name may be changed, the parent or parents of the child shall be served with a copy of the petition. If the parent or parents reside within this state, service of the petition shall be made in person, except that if the location or address of the parent is unknown, service of the petition on the parent shall be made by publication as provided in this Code section. If the parent or parents reside outside this state, service of the petition on the parent or parents residing outside this state shall be made by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery if the address is known or by publication as provided in this Code section if the address is not known.

(e) Where a child resides with persons other than his parent or parents, a copy of the petition shall be served upon the person acting as guardian of the child in the same manner as service would be made on a parent.

(f) Upon the expiration of:

   (1) Thirty days from the filing of the petition if the person whose name to be changed is an adult;

   (2) Thirty days from the date of service upon the parent, parents, or guardian of a minor whose name is to be changed if the parent, parents, or guardian reside within this state; or

   (3) Sixty days from the date of service upon the parent, parents, or guardian of a minor whose name is to be changed if either the parent, parents, or guardian reside outside the state and the petition is served by mail,

and after proof to the court of publication of the notice as required in this Code section is made, if no objection is filed, the court shall proceed at chambers at such date as the court shall fix to hear and determine all matters raised by the petition and to render final judgment or decree thereon. For such service, the clerk shall receive the fees prescribed in Code Section 15-6-77, relating to fees of clerks of the superior courts for civil cases.

Ga. L. 1875, p. 103, § 1; Code 1882, § 1787a; Civil Code 1895, § 2495; Civil Code 1910, § 3014; Code 1933, § 79-501; Ga. L. 1943, p. 260, § 1; Ga. L. 1961, p. 129, § 1; Ga. L. 1973, p. 504, § 1; Ga. L. 1977, p. 1098, § 10; Ga. L. 1978, p. 1365, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1589, § 3.