Changing name

MrsBini10

Those of you who changed your name after marriage, how long did it take you to get all your stuff changed over?

I just changed my name on my savings account a week ago, and I still have credit cards in my maiden name. I've been married a year and a half! It just seems like such a hassle. And just when I think I've changed everything, I get something else in the mail with my maiden name on it. 

kelly321

I'm actually not entirely sure I have everything changed, and it's been 5.5 years. My frequent flier programs were ones I forgot about for a long time, and I'm going to get a new library card sometime in the next week while I'm home visiting. If I could find my old one, it would still be under my maiden name.

Don't feel bad or worry about it as long as you've gotten the most important things and official documents taken care of. I figure in another 5 years at the latest I'll have taken care of everything, and anything that I haven't used in 10 years is probably not worth changing my name on anyway!

Tofumonkey

I think it's pretty normal for it to take a bit of time. I didn't do it myself, so I'm not going off experience though.

Why the hurry to change your name on things if you guys are still working through a lot of issues, though? I'd be more inclined to threaten to start changing things back...

BelgianBells

It did not take too long, but I had a check list I was following. If we were at home, I am sure we would be getting some random mail and advertisements still in my maiden name. No biggie - just like PP, I agree as long as you have all your important docs up to date that's what matters. It is annoying though!

The Irish Gal

I changed a lot of mine pretty quickly though there are still a few that come through with my maiden name on them, such as loyalty cards.  I deliberately didn't change my passport though - it was only half way through its validity and like hell I was going to pay for a full new one before I had to!! Been married since April 09... new passport due in Feb 2013 so another year or so to go yet!!

anna7602

I can't remember how long it took me to change everything overall (been married 9 years), but what I did do was keep my maiden name as part of my legal name so that there weren't any problems if an account or something with my maiden name came up. So, legally, I have four names- FN MN Maiden Name Husband's Last name.

This was especially important for my passport since one of the countries I visit regularly does NOT recognize name changes due to marriage and will only issue my visa in my maiden name. Applying for a whole new visa with a whole new name as if I'd never been there before would create a lot of problems.

VABeach08

Probably about a year.  I did the personal stuff first (ssn, passport, credit cards, bank accounts)-- fairly quickly-- I'd say w/in 2mos.  But I never got around to changing it professional w/ the bar or w/ work.  When I moved here (abt 10mos after we got married), since all my personal stuff was in my married name, I just started out that way at work here.  It's kind of weird to think that people that know me here don't ever think of me as anything other than Married Name.  

I'm still Maiden Name with the bar and on Facebook.  The bar b/c I'm too cheap to pay to change it (and, surprisingly, I don't have to change it... trust me, I checked and have the reply letter b/c I still question it).  FB b/c I'm lazy.

allibally

FB is the only place I've changed to my married name. I've been riding the "I'm too lazy train" for months or shall I say year. Everything is in my maiden name and since I will hyphenate I probably change it on the main things and leave the rest.

EnidFalcor

We're going on our 6th year of marriage. My passport and my credit cards are still all in my maiden name.

LandOBiscuit

There are a lot of things that still have my maiden name and now I am glad I never made the change. And also, you will ALWAYS be MrsBini MaidenName. You're just using your H's name (the feminist in me thinks is is a thing of the past too). So you can use both names.

kelly321

LandOBiscuit:

There are a lot of things that still have my maiden name and now I am glad I never made the change. And also, you will ALWAYS be MrsBini MaidenName. You're just using your H's name (the feminist in me thinks is is a thing of the past too). So you can use both names.

 Just curious - is this true? I thought when you changed your name after marriage that that is a legal and binding name change (unless you change it back legally), meaning that you are no longer FN MaidenName and can't use it for official documents. That's just an assumption on my part, I guess.

azure_azure

kelly321:

LandOBiscuit:

There are a lot of things that still have my maiden name and now I am glad I never made the change. And also, you will ALWAYS be MrsBini MaidenName. You're just using your H's name (the feminist in me thinks is is a thing of the past too). So you can use both names.

 Just curious - is this true? I thought when you changed your name after marriage that that is a legal and binding name change (unless you change it back legally), meaning that you are no longer FN Maiden Name and can't use it for official documents. That's just an assumption on my part, I guess.

I *think* that it's different in the US than it is in Canada and France (the countries that involve me). We don't legally change our name, but just assume our married name. 

For me; in Canada I only have my maiden name on my documents, banks and passport and here in France I use both hyphenated or just my maiden name. 

 

kelly321

azure_azure:

kelly321:

LandOBiscuit:

There are a lot of things that still have my maiden name and now I am glad I never made the change. And also, you will ALWAYS be MrsBini MaidenName. You're just using your H's name (the feminist in me thinks is is a thing of the past too). So you can use both names.

 Just curious - is this true? I thought when you changed your name after marriage that that is a legal and binding name change (unless you change it back legally), meaning that you are no longer FN Maiden Name and can't use it for official documents. That's just an assumption on my part, I guess.

I *think* that it's different in the US than it is in Canada and France (the countries that involve me). We don't legally change our name, but just assume our married name. 

For me; in Canada I only have my maiden name on my documents, banks and passport and here in France I use both hyphenated or just my maiden name. 

 

Interesting. I'm pretty sure in the US and Germany (the countries that involve me) it is a legal name change. I actually changed mine in Germany, not the US, but as far as I've been told, it's still legally binding in the US.

bluegirl2006

I didn't have a lot of things to change. I changed my driver's license and bank stuff right away. Didn't have any credit cards. I still haven't changed my passport or my SS card though so America does not recognize my name change yet and quite honestly neither does the Aussie immigrations service because they go by my passport.

LandOBiscuit

Well in France you legally change your name. If you want to change your name on the bank account for example, you'll need a marriage certificate. It's just that your maiden name doesn't disappear. You're just using you husband's name. But they always ask for your maiden name for official documents as well as exams. FirstName MaidenName will always be YOUR identidy. Marriage doesn't remove this. After divorce you generally go back to your maiden name. I've never changed my name on my passport and it has never been a problem.

MrsBini10

LandOBiscuit:

Well in France you legally change your name. If you want to change your name on the bank account for example, you'll need a marriage certificate. It's just that your maiden name doesn't disappear. You're just using you husband's name. But they always ask for your maiden name for official documents as well as exams. FirstName MaidenName will always be YOUR identidy. Marriage doesn't remove this. After divorce you generally go back to your maiden name. I've never changed my name on my passport and it has never been a problem.

I know that in the US you can choose whether or not to change your name, but if you do, your maiden name is no longer legally part of your name unless you choose it to be (I am Firstname Maidenname Marriedname but many people go with Firstname MaidenMiddleName Marriedname). Sometimes forms ask for previous last names or aliases though.