Changing Your Name After Getting Married

Changing your name after marriage is a personal decision that should not be taken lightly and that can have practical, legal, and emotional implications. Long gone are the days when every wife is automatically expected to change her last name to that of her husband. Instead, some women choose to keep their name as it is, some move their maiden name to take the place of  their middle name, others choose to hyphenate their last name, and some men have chosen to take their wife's name. There are many factors you should consider when deciding whether to change your name. Some are as follows:

•        Professional identity established with you maiden name
•        Tradition and notions of romance
•        Having an entire family with the same identifiable name
•        Cultural importance of a last name
•        Inconvenience of changing a name (and possibly having to change it back in the event of divorce)
•        Aesthetics and whether you like your husband's last name
•        Societal implications and not wanting to give up your independent identity

All of these reasons must be carefully weighed before you go through the name change process to make sure you will be satisfied with your decision. Changing your name back is just as inconvenient as changing it in the first place.

If you do decide to change your name, you should always wait until after your honeymoon to ensure your name on your identification matches the tickets. When you return, however, you need to change all of the following, if applicable:

In some cases, changing your name may be complicated and time-consuming. At the Dickson Law Group in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, we can help individuals deal with issues related to marriage, including ensuring they have followed all necessary steps to change their name. We also assist with all legal matter relating to the family, marriage, divorce, and more.

References:

¹http://www.ssa.gov/

²http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/voter.html