Getting married is exciting! You’re starting your new lives together — a new place to live, new routines, and possibly a new name for one or even both of you. However, whether you decide to take his name or he decides to take yours, completing the name-change process takes more than just saying “I DO”.
When legally changing your name through marriage (or divorce) there are many places you have to contact to update your information – name and address – just to keep your lives running smoothly. There’s no getting around it and it’s a time consuming chore!
If you decide to take this on yourself, here’s a list of the places you’ll need to contact:
- Obtain 3 certified copies of your marriage license (photo copies will not be accepted). Keep one in a secure location with your other important papers (safety deposit box), keep one easily accessible for yourselves (home files) and have one to send away (usually never to be seen again) to the Social Security Administration Department.
- Post Office – updating your name and address will keep your mail from being delayed
- Social Security Department – this is to insure that the name and ID number for payroll tax withholdings and retirement benefits is correct. NOTE: If this isn’t changed in a timely manner, you may have hassles with withholdings going to the proper place, unemployment insurance, getting your tax returns, etc. (Can you say “audit’?)
- Secretary of State - update your driver’s license with your new name and address for a valid ID
- Passport – NOTE: if traveling for your honeymoon, you might want to wait until you’ve returned to start any name-change processes so that you may use your existing passport for your trip.
- Voter Registration
- HR Department - regarding paychecks, automatic deposits, and benefits (ex. is your spouse going to be insured under your coverage and become a beneficiary on your life insurance?)
- Attorney – update legal documents such as living wills, power of attorney, etc.
- Mortgage Company – make sure the “married” you is getting credit for your payments
- Bank Accounts – make sure your account name matches the one on your drivers license and you may possibly want to add your spouse to the account
- Investment Accounts
- Credit Card Companies – no name change = no credit history under your new name
- Landlord
- Utility and Services Companies – electric, phone, Internet, gas, cable, etc.
- Other insurance accounts – such as auto, life and home
- Physician and Dental offices
- Professional licensing boards, University and Alumni associations
- Misc. subscriptions
As a newlywed, you’ll need to contact all these places shortly after your wedding — during the “Honeymoon Phase” of your lives. For brides and grooms that are very busy and either don’t have time (or don’t want to) take on this daunting task, I recommend a name-changing service called HitchSwitch.
HitchSwitch (www.hitchswitch.com) is run by a team of attorneys who - when they each got married - realized how long it took, and how much of a hassle it was, to complete the name-change process. They decided to open a service to assist in completing and submitting all of the required paperwork necessary for a name-change following marriage or a divorce.
HitchSwitch charges a nominal $39.99 for preparing and assembling all necessary forms for you to legally change your name. All the forms will be pre-filled for you, so all you’ll have to do is sign where indicated, and mail the appropriate forms to the relevant agencies in the pre-stamped and addressed envelopes. It takes less than 5 minutes of your time to fill out a short form and the rest of the work is done for you. How amazing is that!
Oh, and if you’re at a loss about what to give as a wedding or shower gift … HitchSwitch also has gift cards. They make a unique and sanity saving gift idea for newlyweds. They’ll love you for it!
