Europe 1 with AFP 07:30, June 30, 2022

From July 1, it will be possible for any adult to ask, once in their life, to take or add the name of their other parent by a simple process at the town hall, without having to formulate any justification.

Until now, this decision had to be motivated and went through a decision of the Ministry of Justice.

Changing your family name will be easier from July 1 with the entry into force of the law, passed in February, which allows with reduced formalities to replace the name received at birth by that of the other parent.

This text opens up the possibility for any adult to ask, once in their life, to take or add the name of their other parent by a simple procedure at the town hall, without having to formulate any justification.

A streamlined procedure

This is a very light procedure compared to the long and uncertain one that existed until now.

It went through a decision from the Ministry of Justice and had to be motivated: discredited or pejorative-sounding surname, desire to Frenchify its name or prevent the extinction of a rare surname...

The so-called "emotional" reasons, for those wishing to give up the name of a violent, incestuous parent or for any other personal reason, will be subject to the same procedures.

The law eases things also for minors

With regard to minors, the new law has also made things more flexible.

A minor child may also change his family name and bear that of his parent which was not transmitted to him, but with the agreement of his two parents who have parental authority.

The consent of the minor over the age of 13 will be required in all cases.

Even if it makes the procedure much easier, the law will not open the possibility of taking any name: just that of the other parent.

"The law will allow the child to bear, by way of custom, the name of the mother, either by bearing only her name, or the name of the mother will be added to that of the father, or the order will be modified family names", had wished, last December, the Keeper of the Seals Eric Dupond-Moretti in an interview with

Elle

magazine .

“This text repairs an injustice”

This text “resounds in my personal history”, he had confided to the magazine.

"My father died when I was a little boy. I was raised alone by my mother" and "so wanted to add hers to my name. Things were made easier because I was a lawyer known as Dupond-Moretti".

And to add: "it is an injustice for all those who are not in my situation and who have not known notoriety. This text repairs an injustice".

The name change law was the last passed by the previous legislature.