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Jermaine Jackson Seeks Name Change to 'Jacksun'

By Deanne Katz, Esq. on November 08, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Jermaine Jackson was one of the original "Jackson 5," and one of the lead singers with his brother Michael. But if he gets his way in court, he'll soon be Jermaine "Jacksun" instead.

Jackson (as we'll call him, since his last name hasn't legally changed yet), filed a petition in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday to change his name to "Jermaine Jacksun." When asked to elaborate on his choice, the musician only said it was for "artistic reasons," according to TMZ.

He may have to change that answer at the hearing about his name change, set for Feb. 22. His reasons, and a few other things, will be important to the court.

Changing your name isn't a very difficult legal process, but it isn't automatic either. When an adult seeks to change his name, a hearing officer or judge will consider whether the motive for the change is to avoid legal problems or debts. If so, that's generally not allowed.

To find out if those issues are out there, the person changing his name is typically required to publicize his proposed name change for several months before the hearing. To please the court, that means publishing the intended name change in a widely circulated newspaper.

So long as no one comes forward between now and February with a nefarious reason why Jackson is trying to change his name, there's a good chance that his request will be granted. The world would then be down to only three surviving Jackson brothers and one "Jacksun."

The process of legally changing one's name actually varies by state, and it doesn't necessarily require a lawyer. But if you want to make sure your motive for changing your name is legitimate, you may want to ask an expert at the FindLaw Answers Forum. It's an easy way to gauge the opinions of our online legal community.

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