Last Name Change... - Richmond,VA

I didn't have a problem with the new last name, but the first time I had to inital something it was a problem. Well the first hundred times I had to initial something...
Congratulations!

My mom took her husband's name socially but kept her banking, credit stuff etc. in her name when she got married. I think that's a good idea these days. Less confusion--it takes a while to get it all changed and really...you still use the "new" name!

I kept my birth name... and my child from a previous relationship as well as my child due next month will have MY birth name too.

I am compromising by taking husband's last name as my middle and his first born son will have his last name as the baby's middle name too.

I think you go to the Social Security place first with the license/certificate to change your name... get that paperwork finished first then move on to the DMV.

If you're sure you want to change it--start at your Social Security office...

I got about 10 stamped copies of my marriage certificate. I remember I did send one to the Social Security Administration, and they sent me a SS card with my new name on it. Then I went to the DMV--with the new card and another copy of the marriage certificate, just in case. Got a new driver's license.
Beyond that, it all just seemd to kind of happen naturally. When I went to the library, I told them I got married and they corrected it in their computer. Same thing at the video store, doctor's office, etc. I just "corrected as I went" and it all fell into place. I didn't spend an afternoon making phone calls or anything.
If you want credit cards or anything to have your new name on it, I guess you could call those places and let them know you're married. They'll probably change it in their system and send you a new card if you ask (then your cards will match your NEW driver's license). I carried one of those notarized copies of the marriage certificate until everything was up to date.
And yes, I surely did practice writing my married name. I, too, NEVER write in cursive, so my "signature" is 100% illegible and has gotten even more so in the 12 years since I got married.

The signature is NOTHING.

Saying "my husband" took forever to get used to. Nobody thought I was OLD enough to be married (at the time.)

Most people can't believe we've been married over 19 years yet they were AT the wedding. Time flies when you're having fun!

I couldn't WAIT to change my name. My maiden name was hard for people to pronounce and now it's SO EASY it freaks them out. Silly people...

I would start with driver's license. I use my maiden name as my middle name on there.

Social Security Card
Drivers License
Credit Cards
Bank Accounts
Investments
**Add him to any policies as a beneficiary (if you want to)
Email
Facebook
Utilities/Bills

After we got married, I just started to keep a list as bills, statements, alum letters, magazines etc came in. Do the social security card & license first b/c those are your "officials". Everything else, do as you can!

Social Security, then DMV, then you bank if you use checks because you'll need your ID and your checks to match. I also changed it fairly quickly at work because I wanted my health insurance in my new name so that I could register as "Mrs. Married" at the hospital when I delivered our son. It bugged me when I had my first child that everyone called me "Mrs. Single" and that just reminded me of my mother (not that I don't love her, but I'm NOT "Mrs. Single").

After that it's been hit or miss. It's been almost 8 years and many credit cards, utility bills, school records (for my oldest child), magazines etc. are in my old name. When we switched banks, I put my married name on the bank accounts so that my checks matched my ID. I think my doctors are all on my married name to match insurance now too.

Bottom line - don't go overboard - tackle the big things and then take care of the rest as they crop up. Your credit card company and cell phone provider don't care what your name is!

Social security office... if I remember correctly that is the first place you need to change it. I had to have it changed on my social security card before I could change my DL.

Driver's license
Bank accounts
Checks
Work (for payroll and tax purposes)
Credit cards
Passport
All of your bills

Honestly, I've been married 5 years and never really gotten the hang of signing my new name. It just doesn't flow for me. If you write messy enough, you can get away with just keeping your old signature and no one will know the difference.

I didn't change my name when my husband and I got married five years ago. Last year, I hyphenated his name onto mine, and changed all my ID's and my checking account.
Some of our bills still have my birth name on them.
Many people use my birth name anyway, because my husband's name is one of those German monikers that could choke a goat.
Sometimes I sign one name, sometimes the other. I've found that it really doesn't much matter.

If my husband had been adamant that I take his name, we would not have gotten married. What name I use is MY decision and mine alone.

The last time I got married I ran out and changed everything. This time I am changing what is free to change and the rest can wait until it expires. They want $25 to change my license yet it still expires at the same time. They want $150 to change my passport, again still expires at the same time. No thanks.

Oh what I mean by still expires at the same time we have three and six year licenses here. Even though I have three years left on my six year, and there is only a $15 fee for three years, I have to pay for the six since I have that but it will expire in three years. It is a racket I tell ya!

Don't change it--that makes it pretty darn easy!

First thing, you need to go to the SS office (its very easy, takes 2 mins) and then the bank (bring marriage license, if you guys share an account hubby will have to be there too, if his name was on the account first) well actually it is easier to go to the DMV first then go to the other places :)

Secondly, I HATE my married last name. I pulled a fast one though...I ditched my middle name, moved my maiden name over to my middle name spot and added my new married name as my official last name...this worked for me because before marriage my signature was always just my: First name initial. Last name (K.Igou) now my signature is: first name initial. Maiden name Married name initial (K.Igou H.) Buwahahahaha!

My husband was VERY serious and unbending that I take his last name, no hyphens no nothing. So I did. Legally I am an "H" but as far as it effects me in my day to day life...it hasn't really! *My last name is the last thing I have left of my father...it was VERY important to me to keep it!

I'll echo some people's comments about using your maiden name as your official middle name. It makes the transition so much easier... And if you have an attachment to your maiden name, it's nice to have it not completely gone.

You've gotten some good ideas about where to change your name already. don't forget the following:
- Bank accounts - especially joint ones
- Credit cards
- Wills
- Beneficiary forms like for a 401K or other retirement type stuff
- Promisary Notes
- Loans (i.e for cars or school loans)

Yes, I practiced a ton on how to write my married name! lol.
Congrats!
~C.

I remember after we got married I had to sign something and I signed it with my maiden name. My hubby said uh uh, you're not Margie S anymore you are Margie M. It took me a long time, I had to think Margie M.
Decide to change or not.
If you want ot change to his last name then change everything, Driver's license, car registration, house deed, credit cards, bank accounts, college transcript offices.
It's easiest to change at the DMV first, that gives you an ID with your new name on it. THen go to the bank. THose are your big ones.

Oh yeah, social security office.

Also, do not change you mamapedia name unless you tell us. I won't know it's you.

My mother was married 15+ years and still miss signed her name a few times.

I guess it'll grow on you and you'll make it yours very soon;-) I never changed my last name when I got married, never wanted to. I love when names tell the family's story and in the anglo saxon cultures it all gets mixed up... My son has my last name as his middle, my father was thrilled to pass on his last name (I don't have brothers), for me, it was like a "clan" thing..you know, related by blood not by law. I guess it's a southern european thing...

I got married Oct 2004. I was still working on my undergrad then and my mom was teaching my communications class. So she actually wrote my name as my married name before I did! WOW! It took some time getting used to it, but now it's weird using my last name. I have to use it for my MBA program because it's the same school and my email doesn't change...or they won't change it.

DMV
Social Security Office

then the office

I didn't have any problems adapting to my new name when I married Bob...it was my first husband that I had problems with...LOL!!! For a while after I married Bob (maybe 6 months or so) I still signed my maiden name to documents...

My passport is in both maiden and married as middle (maiden) and married (last) so that if there is a problem - next of kin can be notified...