Custody & name change apostille
We turn certified family-court orders — custody judgments, guardianship decrees, and name-change orders — into documents foreign governments, schools, and consulates will accept abroad.
This page covers custody, guardianship, and stand-alone name-change court orders. For a name change contained inside a divorce judgment, see the divorce decree apostille page.
What this page covers
Family-court orders need an apostille before foreign governments, schools, and civil registries will treat them as valid abroad. We confirm you have a court-certified copy bearing the clerk's seal and signature, then file it with the apostille authority in the state where the order was issued — most often the California Secretary of State. For non-Hague destinations, we coordinate the consular legalization chain.
Common reasons people need this
Foreign immigration officers, airlines, and border agents routinely require an apostilled custody order before allowing a minor child to travel, relocate, or enroll abroad with one parent or a non-parent custodian. Apostilling the order in advance prevents border holds and missed flights.
Court-appointed guardians who travel or relocate with a minor or incapacitated adult need an apostilled guardianship order so foreign hospitals, schools, banks, and civil registries will recognize the guardian's legal authority to make decisions on the protected person's behalf.
Foreign passport offices, civil registries, and banks use an apostilled name-change order to update identity documents, property titles, and account records when a person's legal name changes. This includes both gender-related and personal name-change orders.
International schools and universities often require an apostilled custody or guardianship order, alongside the child's apostilled birth certificate, before they will enroll a minor traveling with one parent or a non-parent caregiver.
How it works
Text or email a clear photo of the court order (every page), the issuing court and county, the destination country, and your deadline. We confirm in writing whether the copy is properly certified or whether a fresh court-certified copy must be ordered first.
If a new copy is required, we tell you exactly which family-court clerk to request from and which version — full judgment, custody order only, or amended order — your destination will accept.
We file with the correct Secretary of State (California or other), monitor processing, and return the apostilled order by secure courier, mail, or in-person pickup. Same-day rush is available for most California cases.
What will and won't be accepted
Realistic timelines
Before you contact us
Custody, Guardianship & Name Change Order apostille FAQ
Yes. Apostilles can only be issued on a true certified copy bearing the court clerk's signature and seal. Online printouts from the court portal, attorney copies, and notarized photocopies are not eligible. We can tell you exactly which clerk's office to request from.
Yes. Each state apostilles its own court records, so a Texas or New York family-court order must go through that state's apostille authority. We coordinate ordering the certified copy and filing with the correct out-of-state Secretary of State.
No. Court-issued documents are apostilled based on the court clerk's certification, not a notary signature. Notarizing a court order does not add legal weight and can cause foreign authorities to reject the document.
Yes. Adult guardianship and conservatorship orders are apostilled the same way as minor-child guardianship orders. Foreign hospitals, banks, and care facilities use the apostilled order to recognize the guardian's authority abroad.
California family-court order apostilles can often be completed in 1–3 business days with in-person filing, and same-day rush is available in most cases. Other states vary, typically 1–6 weeks. Non-Hague destinations requiring consular legalization add several more weeks.
Yes. The apostille is attached directly to the court-certified copy of the order and returned to you by secure courier, mail, or in-person pickup. We confirm return method in writing before submission.
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