Overview

• Germany's new name law permits spouses and children to adopt double surnames, a significant shift from previous restrictions.
• Jenny Elvers has formally asked her 24-year-old son, Paul, to change his surname to 'Elvers-Elbertzhagen' under the new legislation.
• Paul was born with the surname Elvers but took on Elbertzhagen after his mother's marriage to Goetz Elbertzhagen in 2003.
• Elvers retained the Elbertzhagen name after her 2014 divorce to maintain a shared surname with her son.
• Paul has not yet decided whether to comply with his mother's request, which she describes as her ideal birthday and Mother’s Day gift.