More weddingy stuff: name change

ReturnOfKuus

How much name changing can I do before the wedding, so I can start with a new name immediately following the wedding?

loveshine1

Hm. I'm not sure, because it's been nearly 2 years and I'm not fully changed over.

Mrs.Thistletwat

none, really. everything will require a marriage certificate or social security number. once I changed my name on my SSN it was easier to do everything else.

angel_lins

I think most of my name changes required "proof" via the marriage certificate. 

ReturnOfKuus

Ah.  How long does it take with the "proof"?

TheDuckis

I have a related question. Actually questions. Do I have to change my name with Social Security in my home state, or can I do that when I get to California? Do I have to change my residency first?

katorigasuki

bridelaw.com has all kinds of info about name changing.

katorigasuki

never mind.  it seems the site no longer exists.

eshee8198

It took us about a week to get our signed marriage certificate. It took about 3 weeks to get the updated SS card with my new name. After i had the SS card, I could do everything else. You have to send the original marriage certificate in with the application, so then I didn't have it for any other proof. But the registry, etc, wouldn't do anything until my SS was changed. Same with passport, I think.Duckis - depends on when you're moving. They do send you the marriage certificate back before they finish processing, so you can use it for other stuff, but mine only beat the SS card by a few days. If you're moving within a month of the wedding, I'd wait. more than a month, go ahead.

hmonkey

changing your name on your ss varies with the state.  it can take a while (i think it takes longer in more highly populated states than in less populated states).

6fsn

It's been 4 years and the power bill is still my maiden name.  It's much easier to get the marriage cert, get the SS, then DL, then change the name as they came in. The only one that gave me a hassle was cable.  For some jacked up reason they wanted a marriage license.  We didn't bother to change it.Power changed my name no problem.  For some reason it reverted when we moved though.

TheDuckis

Well I'll have to get a new DL when I move anyway. And we'll be starting brand new with utilities and such. I'll probably have to change it on my existing mortgage, but that should be the only thing.

baconsmom

I didn't have to send my marriage certificate away to change with SS - I just went to the office. It should have taken a couple of hours of standing in line, but I ended up having to go back, because some idiot somewhere didn't know the difference between Alabama - AL - and Alaska - AK. I had to find my birth certificate and change that mistake before changing my name.

*Barbie*

I'd do your SS, then DL then everything else. in PA you need an official copy of your marriage licence (not the church license) - you should be able to get this at city hall or the courthouse (you'll have to look online where the info is stored for allegheny county) - i got mine from Phila city hall  - then go to the SS office. Check online and have your form filled out when you get there. The website gives you a list of stuff to bring. Get there early and bring a book or protable DVD/game - you may be waiting a while. It took a couple of weeks to get a new card in the mail. Once you have your new SS card, you can go to the DMV and get your license changed. If you really push, you could probably get everythign done in a couple of months (allowing for mail time) - I waited a while, so not sur ehow long it takes before the license is available from the state - I also waited on my DL until i was set to renew so i didn't have to keep paying the fee. I still haven't gotten around to changing the title on my car.

DG1

I feel compelled to throw in my "Are you *really* sure, because I really regret changing my name" post.

E Squared

I'll throw in my disapproval of your name change, unless you're changing it toKuus McBunnyLove-Automaton.

Mrs.Thistletwat

I was able to get extra copies of my marriage certificate (paid for them) so that I had "official" copies and didn't have to send my original anywhere.

TheDuckis

Why do you regret it, DG? Do you miss your maiden name or was it just a pita? I'm going to miss my maiden name. It's distinctive and fun and I'm mildly bummed that I'm trading it in for something generic. But keeping my maiden name has never seriously crossed my mind.

Future Mrs Butterworth

I'll change mine. Mostly so that when people meet me in person they're all WHAAAA???

Mrs.Thistletwat

Duckis, that is why I perform under my maiden name. It kicks a$$ and i didn't want to completely give it up.

DG1

It WAS a PITA, imo.  Even more than a year later, I found crap that I hadn't changed (frequent flyer programs, car rental memberships, etc.) that caused (granted, minor) issues.  And you can rarely change your name online. You have to actually CALL and talk to a PERSON, who is forced to chat you up and try to sell you X, Y, and Z. The credit cards are the worst, of course. My discover card still has the wrong middle initial on it because they screwed it up.  My car title is still in my maiden name, because I would have had to pay like $100 or something to retitle it.  And yes, I miss my maiden name. It was MY name (yeah, yeah, it was my dad's name. whatev.) and I was published under that name and all of my professional connections knew me under that name.  With LinkedIn and things, I'm findable, but someone would have to look harder than they have to. And when I'm on calls with or send emails to people who knew me in grad school, I have to explain who I am.  I mean, it's not like I was widely-known in my profession, but some pretty important people did know me, and now they don't recognize my name when they see it on stuff.That, and I do have issues about the background of the whole thing, seeing how its origins are in women as property. I want my kiddos to know/understand that women don't just get folded into the man's family. Since all of our other circumstances seem to send that message, I wish I had kept my name as something of a holdout.Finally, I think *I* knew at the time that I didn't want to change it, but felt pressured to do it anyway.  DH didn't pressure me, although he did prefer that I change it, but my mom was hardcore.  So I'm angry at myself for not listening to my own gut.I suppose it does make things a little easier with the kids - there's no "whose name do we give them" and "Is he really yours" going on. But whatever. 

TheDuckis

Yeah, the ultimate decision for me was that I want to have the same last name as my kids. It's also easier for me because I haven't established a career under my current name. I guess there's an upside to being wildly unsuccessful.

ReturnOfKuus

I'm sure.  I hate my last name (mostly because of the spelling change during immigration that took all the ethnicity out of it) in general, I think Mr. Kuus's last name goes better with my first name, and I'm also a little tickled at people no longer being able to find me easily because I no longer have the same name.