In the state of Indiana, an adult or an adult on behalf of a child may request a name change. There are certain steps that must be taken before a judge will change your name or that of your child.
The most common reasons for a name change are in cases where a battered woman and her children must be protected from a violent ex-partner; where paternity has been established; when a woman decides that she no longer wants to use her ex-partner’s surname; and so on.