how to change your name after marriage
How to Change Your Name After Marriage
It is essential for the 'soon to be tied in a wedlock' to know the right way to change her name after the wedding. This might not be even necessary if you and your hubby decide that you can use your maiden name. But as a general piece of information, it is a must for all those who are going to be married. This Buzzle article tells you how to go about it.
Okay, so you have decided to hear your wedding bells ring and take the plunge, finally! It is going to be a whole new life, with the person of your dreams (Gosh! Not everyone has a fairy tale life!) and a whole new NAME! That will be the last straw in your wedding hat―name change. Well, yes, my dear brides-to-be, you are going to have to face this. You have to be mentally prepared for a name change. Some choose to get their last name changed, some combine last names, and some choose to retain their maiden names. You can also choose an altogether different name. If it does not happen, great. If it does, then you are expected to have at least a slight idea of how the procedure is like. Check it out below.
Changing Your Name after Marriage
Gather all the documents
To begin with, keep extra copies (certified and authenticated) of the marriage certificate with you to furnish it to the agencies that would be involved in the name change or where you need to notify about the name change. For instance, the passport office or department of motor vehicles.
Man to Man
This is rare, but if you are a man wanting to change his name, then see if your marriage certificate has a space for indication of name change. In case there isn't, you will require court papers to legally change your name after the wedding. For that, you will need to get in touch with an attorney to know about the procedure for changing name in your state. All the women, though need not worry about this part.
Be Socially Secure:
Once you get the name changed, fill out the name change form or apply for new social security card or cards with the changed name. Contact your local social security department office for the requisite details. You will need various original documents for this.
Update your passport
After the name change is official, an important thing to do is to go to the passport office and get hold of the passport amendment or validation form. Fill in the details and along with the stipulated fees and current passport, marriage certificate, or court papers of name change, mail them to the passport office.
Get a new driver's license
Just like you went through the passport drills, contact the department of motor vehicles to obtain a fresh driver's license, with the name change. After you contact them, they will furnish you with the information as to what documents would be required. Other than this, you should ideally notify these agencies:
- Employer
- Inland Revenue
- Doctor
- Bank
- Building Society (mortgage and/or savings accounts)
- Credit Card and Store Charge-Card Companies
- Finance/Loan Companies
- Premium Bond Office
- Investment Companies
- Companies that you have Shares in
- Pension Company
- Insurance Companies (e.g. motor, medical, life, property, property contents etc)
Now, if you are in Canada, what you need to do is
The issue of getting the name changed after marriage is at the end, a bit of a hassle, but it is a necessary evil. Otherwise, you would have to play the name game all your life!- First, wherever you need to give your identity, you can give your marriage certificate for changing your identification. In Canada, the most common practice is that your maiden name is your legal name. Changing of name is only traditional and never assumed.
- In case you wish to change your legal name, which will mean changing of the name on your birth certificate, you would have to fill and submit an Election to Change Surname form.
- If you want to avail the benefit of a free name change procedure, do it before you finish 90 days from the day you got married. If you don't, then be ready to shell to shell out a whopping CAD 25.00 from your pocket for the application.