Changing name

Whispered

I just wanted to get peoples opinions on the legalities of changing your name after getting married. I know there can be a lot of debate over why people do it, why they should, why they shouldn't etc but to be honest I really only need some clarification on the legal end of it.

For example, say I do not change my name, would I automatically be accpted as a spouse if something was to happen my husband and he was in hospital, or would I need to show marriage cert as proof?

Similarly if abroad, and my passport still holds my own surname, would we be accepted as married if for whatever reason we needed to produce documentation?

Or if we had kids (they would have husbands surname), could I then choose to use my husbands surname for filling in any forms to avoid any confusion with the children.

Having looked it up, I couldn't find a lot of info on the procedure itself. How to I change my name? I know I need to go to the fourcourts, but can I go in with my cert and gt it done in one day or do I need to apply and wait?

If I do change my name, do I immediately need to change driver license and passport? Can I keep utility bills in my name if I change it legally?

Anything else I need to consider?

ThePiedPiper

A lot of people's first thing to do these days is change it on Facebook!! But seriously, for most people, it happens over time. For ourselves and other friends who've gotten married in the last few years, we're going to wait until passport and licence renewals to get those changed. In the hospital for ante-natal stuff, my wife's given my surname as her own now, and changing things bit by bit. I don't think it's necessary to go at it flat out to change everything at once, change things as they arise.

BC

It depends what you mean by "change your name".

Once you're married you can change the name on your bank account, passport, drivers licence etc. For all of this, all you need is a copy of your marriage cert. This is what most people do.

If you want to legally change your name you do it by deed poll. AFAIK a solicitor can do this for you and they apply to the courts so you don't actually have to go there or you can do it yourself in which case you do have to go.

In practice I don't think most people bother changing their name by deed poll, they just change it on the relevant accounts etc and start using the new name.

As for whether or not you'll be "accepted" thats really a judgement call by the person asking for the information. E.g do hospitals ask for ID when they ask about next of kin? I doubt it to be honest.

emarfrog

I had thought of keeping my name for work (e-mail, meetings etc.) and changing my name for everything else (passport, tax, driving licence) Will probably be messy tho! Has anyone tried doing this and is there any advice that people have?

SSFG

Yikes! Seems like its easier to just leave it be but I like the idea of changing my name to my fiances

bills

emarfrog wrote: »

I had thought of keeping my name for work (e-mail, meetings etc.) and changing my name for everything else (passport, tax, driving licence) Will probably be messy tho! Has anyone tried doing this and is there any advice that people have?

I know a few people who have done this & dont think they have had any major problems. I am thinking of doing the same myself. However, i imagine it could get a bit confusing especially since I do a lot of signing of my name & will probably sign the wrong name at some stage!!

Whispered

So to change your name on certain things you don't have to have it done by deed poll first?

It's very confusing.

Ok. So what can I change without having to change it by deed poll?

Alliandre

RunForestRun wrote: »

we're going to wait until passport and licence renewals to get those changed.

When we get married I'll still have 7 years or so left on my passport, so I'll just have to pay for a new one then because I can't wait that long to change my name! I wish there was a facility just to change your name on the passport, without being charged the full amount again.

aviendha

As BC said above, it depends.

Most people just acquire their married name by simply producing the marriage cert and that will change your name on all documents - passport (must pay a fee for a new one), drivers licence (no fee to change it), bank accounts, bills, etc... You are then entitled to use either maiden or married for legal purposes (your birth cert will prove your maiden name, your other ID documents that you have changed will prove your married name) - you don't actually lose your maiden name, you simply acquire a second name by which you are known.

A change by deed poll is more serious and actually wipes out your maiden name, it does not exist legally anymore - I don't know any married person who has done this.

One thing to bear in mind if you are doing a phased change of name, or you maintain maiden name for some things and not all, it may cause confusion and/or difficulty as I've found. You have to remember which ID is in old/new name especially for booking flights etc, and most importantly, if you want to use your credit card (maiden name) but are asked for ID (passport in married name) it will not be accepted, so it best to change as much as you can at the same time, even if it does cost a little to get a new passport, just for the hassle it saves!

Also, if you need to open an account (broadband, mobile phone) and you need a copy of bank account and a bill, and if only one has changed, it just causes more hassle than its worth.. unless you have a few copies of the marriage cert to be sending off!!

My 0.02 - best of luck

kc66

emarfrog wrote: »

I had thought of keeping my name for work (e-mail, meetings etc.) and changing my name for everything else (passport, tax, driving licence) Will probably be messy tho! Has anyone tried doing this and is there any advice that people have?

I work in IT and regularly people request to have their name changed when they get married. No major hassle, so no point in trying to juggle two names imo.

emarfrog

I can see lots of advantages to keeping my work name as "emarfrog X" and in my personal and family life changing to "emarfrog Y". I can change my facebook to emarfrog Y for one which means that unless I am friends with people I meet through work they won't be able to find me there (or is that uber-paranoid and sounds a bit like I'm marrying to go underground!!!! ). Really my other main concern is that my qualifications etc. are in my maiden name.