Brides, are you keeping your maiden name?Posted by Kim Rix on March 17th, 2010
Dear Bride,
Just when you think you’ve thought of everything, another question comes along! And this is quite a big one. Brides, are you keeping your maiden name or taking your married surname?
There is no legal obligation for the bride to take her husband’s surname upon marriage. It is a tradition that has been carried out for centuries and was for a long time seen as the norm. More women are making careful choices about whether they will take their husband’s name, whether to keep their own or even opting for the double-barreled surname.
If you decide to take your husband’s surname then there are a number of things you will have to do in order to change your documents and formalize your identity.
The best advice I can give is to get several Marriage Certificates in order to send to all the parties who request them. Remembering this early will save you a lot of time and hassle. The Marriage Certificate legally entitles you to change your name and is all the evidence you need of this.
For most places you will be expected to send in a copy (or original) of your marriage certificate with an accompanying letter explaining your name change request. Some institutions may have a separate form for you to fill out – but this shouldn’t be too complicated.
I found this great list of places and people you should notify on Wedding Chaos at: http://www.weddingchaos.co.uk/changing-your-name.asp
· Employer
· Inland Revenue for tax and NI records (obtain your reference and tax office address from your employer)
· Bank (mortgage and/or saving accounts)
· Building Society (mortgage and/or saving accounts)
· Credit card companies
· Finance/loan companies
· Local Authority (Council tax and register of electors)
· Department of Work and Pensions (if you are entitled to any benefits)
· Police (if you have any criminal actions against you or are on the Sex Offenders’ Registry)
· HM Land Registry (if you own land or property)
· Pension providers
· Passport Office (apply for a name passport)
· DVLA (apply for a new drivers license)
· Motoring organisations (breakdown organisations)
· Utility services (ie. Gas, electricity, water and sewerage providers)
· Telephone provider
· Internet provider
· Mobile phone provider
· Royal Mail
· Insurance companies (buildings, life, motor, endowments, contents etc.)
· Premium Bonds Office
· Mail-order companies
· Doctor
· Dentist
· Vets (if applicable)
· TV license Office
· School/college/university
· Professional Institutes and bodies
· Library
· Clubs, societies and associations
· Magazine subscriptions
· If either or both of you have a will, this should be reviewed after you are married.
One very handy tip for you is that you can change your Passport in advance so that you can jet off on honeymoon with your new name! You can apply for the new passport up to 3 months before the wedding – but it won’t be valid until after the marriage. For more information on passports visit http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/index.htm
Kind regards,
Kim Rix