Married Life
amyjo700
member
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Name Change
in Married Life
Hello,
I was married on September 15 and have yet to officially change my name. I will be taking my husbands last name. I am considering taking my maiden name as my middle name. However when recently discussing this with a friend that did the same 4 years ago, the SS administration let her do that with her official SS info, however the BMV required an official legal name change with the courts and would not change her DL to reflect First Name, Maiden Name, Last Name. So her ID and banking info still has her maiden name as her last name.
With that being said if I have to do an official legal name change with the courts, I'm not going to. So I was considering taking my maiden name only for my professional work related items, business card, name plate, emails, etc.
Has anyone did this? What are your recommendations?
Amy Jo
I was married on September 15 and have yet to officially change my name. I will be taking my husbands last name. I am considering taking my maiden name as my middle name. However when recently discussing this with a friend that did the same 4 years ago, the SS administration let her do that with her official SS info, however the BMV required an official legal name change with the courts and would not change her DL to reflect First Name, Maiden Name, Last Name. So her ID and banking info still has her maiden name as her last name.
With that being said if I have to do an official legal name change with the courts, I'm not going to. So I was considering taking my maiden name only for my professional work related items, business card, name plate, emails, etc.
Has anyone did this? What are your recommendations?
Amy Jo
Re: Name Change
Wow, don't know why that happened to your friend. I never had a middle name before, so when I registered for my marriage license I made my maiden name my middle name, and took my husbands last name.
After we married, I took my marriage certificate to apply for a new SS and when i got my SS card, I took it to the DMV and changed it to reflect my SS. Then I just used my marriage certificate and ID to change bank and checks, and for credit cards I only used my drivers ID. Sounds like a lot, but it was easy.
It depends which state you are in. I am in the process of doing what you wanted to do- took H's last name, and am making my maiden name my middle name. When we applied for the marriage license, I checked the box to change my last name to H's. That becomes official once you receive the marriage certificate. However, in NY state, to change your middle name, you can't do it on your marriage license application, you have to petition the court. There is a $65 fee to do this. There is also a lot of paperwork involved- you have to submit a notarized application, a certified copy of your birth certificate, which they keep, a notarized consent form from your spouse, your marriage certificate, show them originals and copies of both your and H's IDs, and proof of address. Then when the judge approves your petition, you have to have it published in a local newspaper (it was $60 for my local paper). The newspaper will then send you an affidavit that it was published, you then bring the affidavit to the court, and only THEN is your middle name change official. Then you have to purchase certificates showing your name change ($6 each in NY) to take with you to SS, DMV, etc. to have your name changed on official documents.
It's been a bit of a hassle so far, but it was important to me to keep my maiden name in some way.
Mellimel,
That was the same process my friend had to go through in Colorado and she was married in Las Vegas. So she didn't even deal with it.
I'll follow up with my local county and the BMV, I was married in TN (live in OH) and they didnt even ask about how I wanted my name changed.
This is so frustrating, I was trying to get these changes all done before the Elections because I need to change my name and address and register to vote in a new city.
UGH.
I had no problems with this type of name change in Ohio... We were married 9/22 and I changed my name over last week at. SSA and then BMV. The issue is that these changes vary by state so one of you might not have been able to do it because you live somewhere that doesn't allow it. But it is OK in Ohio.
It may vary by state, but usually, however you have your name listed on your marriage license is exactly how it will have to be listed on all legal documents. If you want to change it to something other than what is listed on your marriage license, you will have to legally change your name through a petition for name change with the courts (even if it is just adding back your maiden name-I know, ironic, having to legally change your name back to a name you have been known as your whole life!).
I looked into this a couple years back because although I have been married for several years, I still regret not keeping my maiden name by hyphenating my name. After going through everything to change all my documents to my married name, I still don't even have the energy, or really want to spend the money to legally change my name.
So, a word of advice- be absolutely sure what you want your new name to be.
Good luck and congratulations on your recent marriage!
in Ohio our marriage license lists only our maiden name. You don't have a name change until you do it through SS Administration and BMV. I promise I'm not lying, just got our license mid sept and married. The official copy arrived last week in the mail. I got through the name change to be first maiden HsLastName no problem. Nowhere does it say my first name with H last name on the marriage license. You fill out marriage license with your maiden name unless instructed otherwise.
Again, these things vary by state. I do think I would have a problem if I wanted a totally different middle name besides my maiden name.