Am I right about this?!

emilykathleen511 · December 2010

Okay, someone please tell me I am right about this. These nest people are making me feel like I am taking crazy pills! It is actually regarding what "livingitup" wrote down the page, not the OP.

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/46152602/ShowThread.aspx#46152602

gottahavashorti · December 2010

I don't think you're supposed to go by multiple names as far as legal documents go. I have heard of people changing their name legally but going by their maiden name professionally. Still, in those cases there is one legal name.

I didn't change my name on the marriage license - it wasn't an option. Most places considered the marriage license to be my proof of name change, though.

SSIL hadn't gotten around to changing her name on her license over a year after her wedding (she moved across the country right after getting married), so she carried her passport, which was updated, as proof of identity when flying. But I think she'd changed her name on most things, or at least legally, and goes only by her married name.

lalap69 · December 2010

I think there's something about legally changing your name versus legally assuming your husband's name, but I don't know enough about it to comment.

I have to say though that I hate hate hate the argument that a woman's choice is between taking her husband's name or keeping her dad's name. So what? Only men can have their own names? Yes, I share a last name with my dad, but I've had it for 26 years. It's MINE.

/pet peeve rant

filaw · December 2010

I actually heard the other day that it's easier to legally change your name if you have already just started using the new one various documents. I was shocked by that. It seemed impossible for it to be okay to apply for credit cards for instance. But I don't know. As someone that's going through the whole legal name change process right now (both DH and I decided to change our name together), it's all kind of wacky and "imaginary" in a way anyway.

Your SSN appears to be how "everyone" (credit report, government, etc) keeps track of you anyway. I think your name is somewhat trivial to most of the "important" agencies.

megk8oz · December 2010

It kind of scared me how easily it was for me to change my name. They didn't even ID me when I went to SS, they just asked for the marriage certificate and what name I wanted to go by. BAM! New name. And everybody after SS I changed my name with only cared that I had an updated SS card.

But, my marriage certificate had my maiden name on it. I don't know if the law varies from state to state, but I was actually told to fill out all pre-ceremony papers with my maiden name, because that was my legal name at the time, and the documents would have been considered void if I used my married name.

Either way, it's one thing to have one legal name and go by a different one socially. But having multiple names on multiple documents and accounts is really just asking for some sort of legal sh!t storm if somebody ever catches discrepancies in her paperwork.

frogurt814 · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-party_am-right-this?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:37Discussion:09eba8cc-69cd-4771-8efd-c01d1c6638b5Post:74c8daa6-3f38-4f17-b2df-7fb3bd755a76">Re: Am I right about this?!</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>It kind of scared me how easily it was for me to change my name. They didn't even ID me when I went to SS, they just asked for the marriage certificate and what name I wanted to go by. BAM! New name</strong>.
Posted by megk8oz[/QUOTE]
This. Exactly! I was shocked when I went to the SS office to change my name, and they didn't ask for any proof of photo identification. Just the marriage license and then there was a form I had to fill out.

bablingbrooke · December 2010

I have to admit that while I put DH's name on our marriage license, I haven't gotten around to going to SS or formally changing it on any documents. I'm just lazy. I presume that my legal name is what SS has me down for, and as a law student I'm ashamed to admit that's the depth of my knowledge on the subject.

I do think calling it fraud is going a bit far...

ETA: Just did a little research. (More fun than studying for exams!) Looks like, like most things, it depends on the state. But in the majority a marriage license is the document that allows you to legally change your name on your SS, DL, etc. but the marriage license itself is not a legal name change. It allows you to change your name without doing a legal name change in court; just lets you fill out some paperwork and do it. Hope that makes sense.

sister2groom · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-party_am-right-this?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:37Discussion:09eba8cc-69cd-4771-8efd-c01d1c6638b5Post:a3e6ec2b-6bc7-4aff-ba28-979ec8b39200">Re: Am I right about this?!</a>:
[QUOTE]I hate hate hate the argument that a woman's choice is between taking her husband's name or keeping her dad's name. So what? Only men can have their own names? Yes, I share a last name with my dad, but I've had it for 26 years. It's MINE. /pet peeve rant
Posted by lalap69[/QUOTE]

I think it's silly too. Also, I never quite understood takingyour mother's maiden name because no matter how far back you go, the name was passed down from some man. I mean, I guess you could make up an entirely random last name, but I personally like sharing last names with people (which you would lose if everyone had a unique last name) because then part of your name describes where you've come from or what family you're a part of.

tldh · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-party_am-right-this?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:37Discussion:09eba8cc-69cd-4771-8efd-c01d1c6638b5Post:156c783b-64e8-4595-96e0-51527c7f9cc2">Re: Am I right about this?!</a>:
[QUOTE]I have to admit that while I put DH's name on our marriage license, I haven't gotten around to going to SS or formally changing it on any documents. I'm just lazy. I presume that my legal name is what SS has me down for, and as a law student I'm ashamed to admit that's the depth of my knowledge on the subject. I do think calling it fraud is going a bit far... ETA: Just did a little research. <strong> (More fun than studying for exams!)</strong> Looks like, like most things, it depends on the state. But in the majority a marriage license is the document that allows you to legally change your name on your SS, DL, etc. but the marriage license itself is not a legal name change. It allows you to change your name without doing a legal name change in court; just lets you fill out some paperwork and do it. Hope that makes sense.
Posted by bablingbrooke[/QUOTE]

I still remember watching a PBS show about glaciers because it was more fun than studying for midterms.

bablingbrooke · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-party_am-right-this?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:37Discussion:09eba8cc-69cd-4771-8efd-c01d1c6638b5Post:4e68a3e4-bee5-4760-bb77-c56b6515efeb">Re: Am I right about this?!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Am I right about this?! : I still remember watching a PBS show about glaciers because it was more fun than studying for midterms.
Posted by tldh[/QUOTE]
Wanna send me a link to it? Would much rather watch glaciers move than study admin law. Unfortunately I'll probably have to give up knotting until I'm done with exams. Sadface :(

NatandIsaac · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-party_am-right-this?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:37Discussion:09eba8cc-69cd-4771-8efd-c01d1c6638b5Post:88040b48-8332-4cf5-b9a5-d5025ecb57fc">Re: Am I right about this?!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Am I right about this?! : Wanna send me a link to it? Would much rather watch glaciers move than study admin law. Unfortunately I'll probably have to give up knotting until I'm done with exams. Sadface :(
Posted by bablingbrooke[/QUOTE]

<div>When I was in law school, finals always meant rediscovering the lost art of watching MTV.</div>

linguo42 · December 2010

That poster is cuckoo for cocoa puffs. The slave labour analogy was particularly off-putting.

Am I right about this?!

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