Name Change and Civil Suit

[John Jaber]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Ohio

I have a business contract that only requires very little of me. My employers bought my former very small business but do not seem to be promoting it well. I am concerned that they will look for a way to try to sue me on some technicality because the contract was filled with all sorts of things that I now realize might have been loopholes they were writing (mainly to get out of paying me).

I am not so concerned with suing them, though I'm sure that this is something I could do. What I am curious about is if they do file a civil suit against me for breach of contract or the like (let's say that they don't pay me and I stop doing my end of the deal as a result), do I have to respond if the suit is filed in my former legal name?

That is, they do not realize that I changed my legal name - which had nothing to do with them or our agreement. If issued in my former name, and since they never had my social security number, is there any legal requirement for me to respond? This of course is all purely hypothetical. I am just thinking of every possibility and how I would respond. Thank you.

 

[FlyingRon]

If you are sued under your old name, you must respond. You will not dodge civil liability because of the name change (in fact, had the lawsuit been pending at the time you probably would have (temporarily) been denied the change... Just ask Ron Artest or SluggaPistonsFan or whatever his name is now).