The New Hampshire–based law firm Shaheen & Gordon is partnering with 603 Legal Aid to assist low-income LGBTQ+ individuals change their names “for safety reasons,” according to a press release from the law firm.
Reports The Keene Sentinel:
603 Legal Aid is an organization that provides free civil legal advice and information for low-income people in New Hampshire. To be eligible for the 603 Name Change Project, applicants must be at least 18 years old and meet 603 Legal Aid’s income and asset eligibility requirements. Eligible applicants will be paired with an attorney from Shaheen & Gordon who will assist them with the name change process for free, according to the release.
The idea for the project came from Heather V. Menezes, a Shaheen & Gordon attorney and member of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, according to the firm’s marketing manager, Paige Moulton. When the firm suggested the idea to 603 Legal Aid, it was well received and the project was able to move forward quickly, launching about two months after the idea first came up.
Moulton said the firm’s staff is excited about the project, which is different than many of the initiatives that have come out of the DEI Committee. “A lot of the efforts the committee does are internal, focused on training or offering opportunities for our staff,” Moulton said. “This is a great opportunity for us externally.”
According to the Movement Advancement Project, an independent, nonprofit think tank, many transgender people change their legal name to better reflect their gender identity. GLAAD, a nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, notes that many transgender people may not be able afford a legal name change.
In New Hampshire, people can complete the name change process through the state’s TurboCourt program and don’t necessarily need assistance from an attorney. However, it helps to be familiar with the general rules of the Circuit Court Probate Division, which most non-attorneys aren’t. An attorney can help someone who wants to change their name make sure they have all of the right paperwork and complete the required steps during and after the process, such as notifying the Department of Motor Vehicles. The filing fee for a name change petition in New Hampshire is $130. That fee is waived for people receiving assistance through 603 Legal Aid, according to 603 Legal Aid Deputy Director Emma Sisti.
Read the complete Keene Sentinel story here.
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