How To Change Your Name When You Get Married

Say My Name, Say My Name… Ok, Destiny’s Child is here and so is the time to change your name!

MarriageCelebrant_ClaudiaNeal_Shaw

Are you changing your name once you get married? Maybe you’re looking to hyphenate, combine or change your name all together. Either way, you’ll need to go through a bit of paperwork to get there.

Your Name Change Road Map

  1. Order a formal marriage certificate from the state you were married in

    You can do this through Births, Deaths and Marriages or you might have asked your celebrant to do it on your behalf. This is the legal piece of paperwork that will prove you are married and allow you to change your name.

    If you’re in NSW, you can order your formal marriage certificate here.

  2. Use the list included below of all the places wherever current name and identification are registered

    Driver’s License
    Bank
    Passport
    Tax office
    Landlord/Lease documents
    Your workplace documents
    Insurance documents
    Utility providers - electricity, gas, water
    Internet provider
    Mobile phone provider
    Car registration/car service providers
    Gym
    Doctor’s Office
    Business Documents (if you run your own business(

    Social Media + LinkedIn

  3. Prioritise your ID documents first (drivers license, passport, medicare etc)

    These are the documents you use most regularly and that you’ll need to prove your ID. Once you have changed these, it makes it easier to go to other organisations and change your name using this new ID.

  4. Get your facts straight! Ask about the name change process for each organisation

    Whether it’s your local gym, a new passport or bank accounts - you’ll need to understand what is involved. Some may ask you to fill out a name change request form or require extra details, some will be as simple as showing your updated license.

  5. Collect multiple certified copies of your marriage certificate

    Some organisations will require a certified copy of your marriage certificate which will need to be certified by a Justice of the Peace.

If it’s all too hard and you need a helping hand, you can organise a name change kit through some of the following providers:

Claudia Neal-Shaw