Names on Petition Papers

Names on Petition Papers
I was asked this and decided that it warranted a full post on the subject.

When writing a Petition Paper with a person's name on it, which name do you use? Their given name or the name they use everyday?

We'll use my name as an example.

My given name was "Vicki". But they misspelled it on the birth certificate. It was supposed to be spelled "Vikki". Trust me when I say, this had a definitive impact on my entire life, especially as a kid.

Nicknames for given names are sometimes inappropriate and the full formal name should be the given name and the shortened version of that name should be their nickname, used by family and friends. The formal name is always used for legal purposes anyway.

When I was older and it was an appropriate time, I changed my name to the formal form of Vikki, but I chose the Russian ancestral version of it, "Viktorija" (pronounced the same as "Victoria"). When I got it changed legally, everything in my life changed for the better. And it has continued to do so since - 17 years now.

So, if you're doing a work that requires a Petition Paper, I suggest that for personal works (love, money, job, health, etc.), the paper have the person's personal name on it. In my instance that would be "Vikki".

But when doing a legal work (law, attorney's, courts, legal documents, etc.), then use the person's given name. Again, using me as the example, that would be "Viktorija".

I now there are many who would dispute this concept, and that's fine. This is what I do and what works for me. A simple test work will determine which is best for you.

Just something new to consider. :)