What to expect at a court hearing

If the other parent filed an objection, you will have a hearing. The court will mail you a notice with the location and date and time of the hearing.

Your day in court

If this is the first time you've been in a courtroom, review some basic tips about how to plan for your day in court.

You may need to wait before your hearing

Keep in mind that other people may have a hearing the same day as you. Your case may not be called right away. You may end up waiting a few minutes or even more than an hour before it’s your turn.

The judge calls your case 

Walk to the front of the courtroom

When it is your turn, the judge will call your names and say your case number. You go up to the front. Someone, usually the bailiff or a clerk, will show you which side to take and tell you to sit down. The bailiff is usually the person in charge of keeping order in the courtroom.

Tell the judge your name and answer their questions

The judge will ask you and the other parent (if they show up) to say your names. Then, you may be asked to swear to tell the truth. 

The judge may confirm that you're asking to change your child’s name and for an order recognizing their gender. The judge may check that the request was served on the other parent. The judge may ask other questions too.  

If the other parent doesn’t agree, the judge will ask them why. 

The judge makes a decision 

Once the judge makes a decision, the judge will need to sign a court order. If the judge grants the gender recognition and name change, the judge will sign the Order. If the judge decides against the request, the request will be denied. 

  • If you turned in the Order Recognizing Minor's Change of Gender and Sex Identifier and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (form NC-530), at the time you filed your case, the judge will sign that and the clerk will file it. 

  • If you were told to hold on to the Order Recognizing Minor's Change of Gender and Sex Identifier and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (form NC-530), this is the time when you turn it in to the judge to sign it and the clerk will file it. 

  • If you didn’t prepare an Order ahead of time, you may be given one to prepare yourself at the hearing. 

Make sure your Order Recognizing Minor's Change of Gender and Sex Identifier and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (form NC-530) says exactly what the judge ordered. 

In some courts, Self-Help Center staff may be able to help you with these forms.

Gender change recognition and name change for a child

What's next?

If you didn't get a copy of the signed Order at the hearing, you will need to get a copy. Once you have a signed Order, next you'll likely need to get it certified. This means a clerk stamps that it is a real copy of the original order.


The next steps tell you how to pick up your signed Order if you don't have it yet and also how to get it certified once you have it.

success alert banner:

Have a question about Name change?

Look for a "Chat Now" button in the right bottom corner of your screen. If you don’t see it, disable any pop-up/ad blockers on your browser.