Q: Preparing a Quit Claim. We want to add my "married" name of Lopez and remove my maiden name. How would I sign?
We are preparing a quit claim deed in Riverside. Currently, the deed states "Luis Lopez and Sara Sidhu husband and wife, as joint tenants". We want to change to "Luis Lopez & Sara Lopez, husband and wife, as community property with right of survivorship. Can I write this exact data onto the Quit Deed? And if so, how do I sign?? Sara Sidhu or Sara Lopez? I'm confused. Please help.
Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
- California
- (916) 704-3009
- View Profile
- Answered
A:
You'll want to sign the quitclaim deed using your legal name as it appears on the current deed - "Sara Sidhu." This maintains consistency with existing legal records and prevents any confusion during the recording process.
For the new deed description, you can write "Luis Lopez and Sara Lopez, husband and wife, as community property with right of survivorship" as you've specified. This change reflects your married name and updates the property ownership type from joint tenancy to community property with right of survivorship, which is often advantageous for married couples in California.
After recording the quitclaim deed, you may want to keep copies of both your marriage certificate and the new deed together in your records. While future legal documents can use "Sara Lopez," this quitclaim deed serves as one of the documentation points showing the transition from your maiden name to your married name.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
