Changing name after marriage

[the-norseman]

Hi All,

Me and Mrs got married last week, shes taken my name.

Is there a correct order to change things in? we have two copies of the marriage certificate.

So far I've come up with a list of things to be changed

Doctors
Bank
DVLA and DVSA (driving licence and V5 for her car)
Car insurance
phone bill
council tax
shes let HMRC know as she is in the process of re-registering her company.

We have been advised by loads of people to not bother updating her passport as she only had it new last year and essentially you are paying for another renewal, obviously any holidays/honeymoon would be booked under her old name so the passport matches.

Cant think of much else really, Mortgage etc is just in my name, no finance outstanding etc.

[OutInTheShed]

It may get complex if you do half a job.
Those holiday bookings, name won't match credit card.
If something goes Pete Tong in a foreign country, she'd have no ID which proves she's your wife and hence next of kin?

OTOH I know someone who seems to have kept her maiden name for business purposes but uses her married name socially.

[lancslad58]

Eletricty, gas, water bills

[QuickQuack]

Female doctors often keep their maiden names professionally. Dr/Mrs QQ is in fact Dr Medium Speed professionally, but prefers Mrs QQ socially. GMC, HMRC, banks and DVLA know her Dr Medium Speed; however, her passport says Mrs QuickQuack (with a note on the other page saying the holder is also known as Dr Medium Speed). When we go on holiday etc., all our bookings are as Family QQ. It's never been a problem.

[Nibbles_bits]

Passport

[surveyor]

THis did go wrong for us during Covid when my wife's married name was on her passport, but she had not changed her maiden name at the Doctor. Her vaccination records would not tally up.

The result was we had to leave her behind when we went to Florida, and sort it out on the Monday when the GP opened. In the event we were lucky that she only lost 2 days and we got a new flight out to the US for £145 (Tui were exceptional)

I would suggest updating everything.

[davek_964]

We're getting married later this year, but will have the opposite problem - it's likely that my g/f will not change her name. Obviously that means all her ID will still match, but in day to day life it does mean that our passports / bank cards etc will make it look as if we're not married.

[E-bmw]

davek_964 said:

in day to day life it does mean that our passports / bank cards etc will make it look as if we're not married.

Not being nasty here, just trying to understand the issue.

Why do you think it NEEDS to show that you are married?

As in, what difference does it make in "day-to-day" life?

[Peter3442]

My advice, these days, it's much easier if the wife keeps her own name on everything official.

Apart from that, it makes booking hotel rooms much more fun.

[Griffith4ever]

Peter3442 said:

My advice, these days, it's much easier if the wife keeps her own name on everything official.

Apart from that, it makes booking hotel rooms much more fun.

Yeah, my Ex changed some but not all. Its really not a big deal. Exciting if you just got married, I get it.

[MustangGT]

Beware HMRC. We married in 2009, sent numerous copies of marriage certificate to HMRC. She still gets letters addressed to Miss, also appears to have 2 tax records........

[the-norseman]

Passport seems a rip off, paid for a 10 year one last year and shes essentially got to pay again for a 10 year one now. or am I missing something?

[Derek Smith]

My eldest, male, keeps his original surname for professional purposes.

His wife keeps her maiden name for professional purposes.

Their common name, used for everything else, is her maiden name-his original surname.

The children use the double-barreled surname.

They have had no problems with any aspect of differing surnames.

[QBee]

the-norseman said:

Passport seems a rip off, paid for a 10 year one last year and shes essentially got to pay again for a 10 year one now. or am I missing something?

Perhaps it has something to do with the idea that the government charge the cost of producing the passport, and you have just given them all that cost again to produce a new one?