This Thunder Bay, Ont., law firm is offering free name change services for Pride Month

Every time Sawyer Lyttle is called by the wrong name, they say, it feels like a jump scare.

"It takes me a second for it to kind of clue in. I'm like, 'Oh wait, that's me,' because I haven't been going by my birth name for at least six years.

"It's kind of like wearing shoes that are a few sizes too small. It's very uncomfortable. It just doesn't work."

Lyttle, who lives in Thunder Bay, Ont., is going through the process of formally changing their name, something they've been putting off.

"I just thought that the paperwork and the application process was really daunting."  

But throughout June, the firm they work at — Waddington and Pottinger Law LLP — has been offering free name change services in recognition of Pride Month.

LISTEN | Sawyer Lyttle: Name Changes 

Superior Morning6:58Sawyer Lyttle: Name Changes

What's in a name? Sometimes the names we are given are not the names we want to keep. This month a law firm is making it easier to be called what you want to be called, right down to your passport.

"They'll go through the paperwork with you, so you know which parts are actually applicable to you and you can actually fill [out] the parts that you need to," Lyttle said.

While their loved ones already call them Sawyer, legally changing their name will clear up confusion and discomfort in waiting rooms for medical appointments and when filling out government documentation, they explained.

"It'll be a lot less confusing for others. It'll be validating for myself," they said.

"I'll be able to show up in a way that's a little bit more confident and a little bit more authentic."

Services 'open for absolutely anyone'

Although people still need to pay a $137 fee to the Ontario government to legally change their name, the law firm is assisting with the paperwork and notarizing the necessary documents for free, said associate lawyer Cady Dreger.

"Especially in doctor's offices, with your school, with your university, with your employer, these are situations where you're probably already on edge, there's probably already a power imbalance."

"Being able to sort of alleviate that or at least try to make those experiences a little bit more comfortable — having your government name and your chosen name align — that's sort of the motivation behind why we do what we do."

Those eligible for a name change must be:

• At least 16 years old.
• An Ontario resident for at least one year.
• Be able to provide their birth certificate.
• Have a guarantor who can confirm their Ontario residency (who is not a family member or partner).
• Have a police record check done if they have a criminal record.

Although the name change services are being offered as a Pride Month promotion, the law firm has seen uptake from those outside the LGBTQ2+ community as well, said Dreger.

"This is open for absolutely anyone that wants a legal name change for any reason whatsoever," she said.

When it came to choosing their name, Lyttle said they played around with a few different options.

"I just kind of asked some of my chosen family and my actual family to start calling me by different names, and then one of them just sort of clicked and just made sense," they said.

"Having the access to get your name changed is pretty special, pretty spectacular."