Under the Kuwaiti civil code and personal status code, it is not mandatory for persons to choose a surname. However, the procedures of adding surname, removing of surname, or changing a family name are regulated under Kuwaiti laws. The significance of a surname is to show relation to your family and your origin.
In other words, it tells about your identity and your heritage. There are many relevant articles about kinship relationships in Kuwaiti law, we will mention only two of them. Article 15 of the Kuwaiti Civil Code stipulates that "the family of a person shall be made up of the spouse and relatives of the person, and the relatives shall share a common origin," as provided in article 16 of the same Act: "1. Direct kinship is the connection between origin and branches. 2. The collateral relatives are sharing the common origin without being part of the same branch ".
To add or remove a surname you have to file a request for the Committee on Lineage Claims and changing of names affiliated to the Ministry of Justice. Two witnesses who share the same lineage line shall be present and you shall bring the following documents:
- copy of nationality
- copy of ID
- copy of birth certificate
- copy of marriage contract (if it existed)
- copy of children birth certificates
- Any official document that show the title you want to add
- A court judgment for a relative who share the same Lineage line
reasons to add a surname or remove a surname may vary for different aspects, however, the Kuwaiti legislature has regulated this process. Being assisted by professional lawyers at surname lawsuits will protect you against time-consuming and will save your resources, they will also help you get the most effective solutions.
In conclusion in this article presented on the Integrated Legal Group (ILG) website, we touched upon the definition of name and surname and the legal consequences of changing them. The article also illustrated the procedure to follow to add or remove a surname. it becomes clear the necessity of hiring an expert Kuwaiti family law attorney to represent the affected persons before the competent court.
