Can a person legally use2 different identities?

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Can a person legally use2 different identities?

If a child is adopted as an infant, then the adoptive parents give the child back to the birth mother and her and her current husband re-adopt the child, changing his name, is it legal as that child, once he becomes an adult, to continue using both identities? This is in order to obtain work and hide a criminal record. They have different birth certificates and SSN’s.

Asked on August 3, 2011 Florida

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 13 years ago | Contributor

No--someone may not have two different Social Security Numbers and may only have one legal name at a time. Each person must have one and only one unique set of identifies; furthermore, the social security number can never be changed, though a person could legally change his or her name as often as he or she likes, so long as all the legal requirements, paperwork, etc. are done properly.

Certainly, a person may informally go by as many names as he or she likes. A person could be named "Ashley Blaine Childers" and go by "Ashley," "Ash," "Blaine," "AB," "ABC," "Child,"or even something unconnected to their name, like "John" or "Tigger" or "The Context." But that's just  informal usage. Legally, only one legal name at time, and only one social security number, ever.


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