It is true that wedding planning comes with lots of items on that all-important ‘to do’ list and some of those tasks even go beyond the date of your nuptials. If you are planning on (or even just considering) changing your name after you get married, there are some important things you need to be aware of before you begin the process. What you need to know first is that your name doesn’t automatically change just because you get married- this is something you have to actively do yourself, if you wish to be known by the same surname as your partner.
What needs to change?
This is entirely up to you: it depends whether you want your new name to replace your old one completely, or just in particular aspects of your life. It would help if you made a list of all the important places where your name is registered. For example, your bank account(s), your passport, driving license, any other accounts you may have with different companies and memberships to various different businesses such as gyms etc. You might find that you want your ‘new’ name to be transferred to important documents, but want to continue to be known by your maiden name at work. Be careful though: you often need identification to open new accounts and by changing your name on documents such as passports and driving licenses, you will lose any ‘proof’ of your old name. Some of the changes will cost you money, so be aware of this. For example, changing your name on your passport means you will need to apply for a new one, which currently costs over £70. However, do be aware that you are permitted to travel using the name on your passport until it expires, so don’t feel rushed into changing it as soon as you are married. Your driving license, on the other hand, needs to be changed as soon as you possibly can, as you can incur a fine for failing to inform the DVLA of a name change.
How do I change it?
You do not need to make a Deed Poll to take your partner’s surname. However, what you do need is a copy of your marriage certificate, which will need to be sent to the various different places listed above, in order for them to process the change. Most company websites contain a section where a ‘change of name’ option is available and you just follow their simple steps to make this happen. Certain official authorities will require your original marriage certificate to be able to change your name, for example, the DVLA. Therefore, it is a good idea to request a few copies of your marriage certificate on your wedding day, if you want to apply to change your name simultaneously on different documents. Otherwise, you will have to send your original certificate off one at a time to different authorities, waiting until they return it to you before being able to send it to a different place. This all depends on how quickly you want the process to be completed.
If you are wishing to take your partner’s name, but continue using your maiden name as a middle name, then this is something that will have to be done by Deed Poll. You can do this quite easily by following the instructions on the Deed Poll website.
It has become increasingly common for couples to double-barrel their names. In order to double-barrel the surname, a Deed Poll can be used. The easiest way to do this is for the husband to change his surname by Deed Poll before the wedding to the double-barrelled name he and his wife-to-be have chosen. Then, after the wedding, the wife can use her marriage certificate to get her records changed into her husband’s new name, which avoids the need for two Deed Polls.
Finally, if you really don’t feel like going to the trouble of changing your name yourself, there are online companies who offer to do it for you, for a fee. Websites offer a service where you inform them of all of the different companies and businesses where you want your name to be changed and they will go through the process of contacting these individually and applying for your name change.
Don’t be put off by the admin- changing your name should be an exciting part of your marriage, if you choose to do so. Remember that there is no pressure to change your name- just go with what feels natural and right to you and your partner.
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