What happens to your domain authority if you are forced to change your website name?

[SteveKettig]

Out of curiosity if for legal reason you or a client were forced to change their domain name, what happens to all of your domain authority once you lose the old domain? While you still own the domain you can easily redirect any old links to your new website, but what happens if you no longer own that domain and someone else purchases it? Do they steal all of your domain authority? Or is it possible to keep those old links pointing toward your website?

[Vanderlindemedia]

A good oppertunity to start with it now.

[SteveKettig]

Thank you. Unfortunately seems to be as I expected. I assume I would be able to also request the links be updated but that would take a lot longer and may not work. Thank you for your help.

[Vanderlindemedia]

If you put up a 301 redirect, then in theory all the 'linkjuice' should follow the new domain. However if you do this now, and like for example give out the domainname in a few weeks, that linkjuice would be no longer passed because the 301 is removed. So in best theory, is to setup a 301 now, and start changing those links that originally point to that domain, and change them to the new domain.

It's intensive, but you should have done a bit more research when launching a new domain.