§ 19-12-2.Hearing on objections to petition
Chapter 12. Name Change · Last amended 2017 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-12-2
Plain-English Summary
This short section covers what happens when someone opposes a name change. The published notice required by § 19-12-1 tells the public that any interested or affected party has the right to appear and file objections. A child’s parents, and anyone else the child lives with, also receive a copy of the petition by service. If one of these people files written objections within the time limits set in subsection (h) of § 19-12-1, the court must hear the matter at chambers.
Those time limits match the waiting periods before a name-change hearing: 30 days from filing when the person whose name will change is an adult; 30 days from service on a child’s parent, parents or guardian who live in Georgia; and 60 days from service by mail on a parent, parents or guardian who live outside Georgia. An objection filed within that window turns an uncontested petition into a contested one, and the judge hears both sides before deciding.
The section doesn’t list reasons that would justify denying a petition. Section 19-12-4 supplies one: the name-change chapter never authorizes a change made to fraudulently deprive someone else of a legal right. Otherwise, how the court weighs an objection — for example, a parent’s objection to changing a child’s surname — is left to the judge. The section was last amended in 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone object to my name change in Georgia?
Yes. Any interested or affected party may file written objections to a name-change petition. If the objections are filed within the time limits in § 19-12-1(h), the court must hear the matter at chambers. The published notice of the petition tells the public about this right to object.
What is the deadline to object to a name change in Georgia?
This section points to the time limits in § 19-12-1(h): 30 days from filing when an adult’s name is changing; 30 days from service on a child’s parent, parents or guardian living in Georgia; and 60 days from service by mail on a parent, parents or guardian living outside Georgia. Objections must be written and filed within that period.
How does a parent stop a child’s name change in Georgia?
A parent can file written objections within the time limits set by § 19-12-1(h). The court then must hold a hearing at chambers. Section 19-12-1 also requires the written consent of a living parent who has not abandoned the child to be filed with the petition. Whether the change is granted after a hearing is up to the judge.
What happens at a contested name change hearing in Georgia?
The court hears the matter at chambers, takes in both sides, and decides whether to grant the petition. This section doesn’t list the factors the judge weighs. Section 19-12-4 makes clear that the chapter never allows a name change meant to fraudulently deprive someone of a legal right.
Is there a hearing if nobody objects to a Georgia name change?
Yes, but it’s an uncontested one. Under § 19-12-1(h), once publication is proved and no objection was filed, the court proceeds at chambers on a date it sets to decide the petition and enter a final judgment. This section adds that if objections are filed in time, the court must hear the dispute.
Amendment History
Laws 1875, p. 103, § 2; Laws 1961, p. 129, § 2; Laws 1973, p. 504, § 2; Laws 2017, Act 222, § 2, eff. July 1, 2017.
Formerly Code 1882, § 1787b; Civil Code 1895, § 2496; Civil Code 1910, § 3015; Code 1933, § 79-502.