The How and Why of Hyphenating Last Name after Marriage

Are you getting married? Congratulations on making this big step in life.  While most preparations for marriage focus on the wedding, there’s a lot more a couple should consider. One of the most critical,albeit overlooked items in the nuptials is the name change.  

Name change after marriage is a tradition that goes way back in time. The most common name change is for the bride to pick the husband’s name to reflect their new status. For a long time, this has been the standard name change after marriage. However, things have changed and you might feel that dropping your last name is not for you, you are not alone.

Hyphenating last name after marriage has emerged as the most popular alternative to dropping the maiden name. This post explores in detail the technique of hyphenation for name change after marriage. 

How Hyphenated Names after Marriage Work 

If you want to find a compromise when changing your last name after marriage, hyphenation is a smart option. To hyphenate, you combine your and your partner’s last names with a hyphen.You have different options of hyphenating your last name, including:

1. Traditional hyphenation: This is where the maiden name goes first. For example, when “John Atkins” marries “Mary Jones,” the hyphenated name becomes “Mary Jones-Atkins.”
2. Change your maiden name: You can opt to use your spouse’s name as your surname and add your maiden name after the hyphen. In this case, you become Mary Atkins-Jones. 
3. You can ask your husband to hyphenate his last name with yours.

Why Hyphenating Is A Great Alternative 

A name change after marriage issupposed to be straightforward. However, times have changed, and the norms and traditions have given to new ways of thinking. If you plan to get married soon, you should take more time thinking about your last name.  While picking your partner’s family name is a popular choice, it doesn’t work for all brides.  

Many couples fight over the name change and this could ruin the mood before the wedding day. The last thing you want during this hectic planning period is for a disagreement to arise. There’s already so much tension during the wedding planning. You don’t want to light a spark in such a situation.

Hyphenating your last name is an excellent compromise if you can’t agree on the last name. Most cultures expect the bride to drop their last name, but in some situations, this is impractical. Hyphenation becomes the best way out in these tricky situations. Take a look:

• For Professional Reasons

If you have already created a brand name using your maiden name, the last thing you want is to start all over again after marriage. A name is important both for professional and business purposes. If you have already invested a lot in your name for branding purposes, hyphenating your last name becomes the best choice. This unique name helps bridge the gap between your personal and professional life.

• Female Empowerment 

A name is not only a label but also a part of your identity. Most women are not comfortable dropping their last name for the sake of marriage. In a world where equality is now part of life, this age-old tradition seems to favor one gender over the other. Many women go for hyphenation of their last name as a form of emancipation. 

• Honoring Family Legacy 

Some families have practices that go back decades. In some of these families, women retain their family names as a way of keeping alive the predominant last name. This can be a tricky situation if your spouse expects you to follow traditions, but hyphenating saves the day.

1. Win-win Name Change

There should be no winners or losers in any decisions you make in marriage. This also applies to the name change. Hyphenating your name gives your marriage a sense of balance and equality. It is a win-win situation for both spouses. It lays a symbolic foundation for relations in your marriage. 

Hyphenating Your Last Name After Marriage 

Most states allow any form of a name change when applying for a marriage certificate. In others, you might have to file a name change petition. It’s important to confirm the name change guidelines with your county clerk. The standard procedure for hyphenating your last name will entail:

1. Apply for a marriage license at your country clerk’s office. Include your hyphenated last name and confirm if it’s acceptable in your state. This is the name that will appear in your marriage certificate. 
2. Pay for several certified copies of the marriage certificate for the name change.
3. Apply for a new social security card from the Social Security Administration (SSA). You need the old social security card, your certified copy of your marriage certificate, driver’s license, state-issued identity card, or U.S. Passport. 
4. Apply for a new driver’s license: Visit the local department of motor vehicles (DMV) for an updated driver’s license. You need to present a receipt of the applied social security card, old driver’s license, proof of address, and a certified copy of your marriage license.
5. Get a new passport: Check the U.S. Department of State website and download the requisite form to apply for a new passport.
6. Send name change notifications: Some states require you to publish your name change while in others you only send notifications to the relevant persons, institutions, and service providers. They include your bank, creditors and debtors, utility providers, mortgage provider, your attorney, credit card companies, and others. Make sure you include a certified copy of your marriage certificate as proof of the name change. 

Hyphenating Your Name Just Got Easier 

Hyphenating your last name for marriage reasons is tedious. Luckily, you can now use an online name change service like HitchSwitch to make things easier. 

The name change service offers tailored name change packages to suit your specific needs. They provide all documents you need to fill and can also fill these and mail them for you, depending on the package you buy.

Final Thoughts 

Changing your last name after marriage can cause hiccups, if not well done. This is why hyphenating your last name is such a great idea. It is a compromise where everyone wins. You get to retain your identity and still include your spouse’s name to yours. It is a win-win option for name changes after marriage.

How to Overcome the Intricacies of Last Name Change

” What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”This is one of the most famous quotes by William Shakespeare. It remains relevant in contemporary times because people place a lot of importance on names.

While Shakespeare posited a name is just but a label, most people don’t agree. A name not only identifies you but also carries some meaning. It is for this reason that the government has allow a name change. Under the Fourteenth Amendment, every adult American citizen can change their name at will. Millions of people go through the name change to pick names that suit them better.

If you want to change your name, it’s most likely that you want a new last name. The first question to ask is,”how difficult is the last name change?

This post explores the legal last name change in detail, including possible reasons for such name change, steps, requirements, and how a last name change service can help complete the name change more easily.

Steps in Last Name Change

1. Identify the reason for Last Name change

The law allows last name changes for any reason. The most popular reasons for such a name change would include:

• For marriage purposes: Most women change their last name to reflect their new status as wives. In some cases, the groom can also change their last name.Couples can also combine or hyphenate surnames to form a new one.
• Name change after divorce: To get a clean start, most divorced women drop their last name and revert to their maiden name.
• Other reasons: People also change names for sexual identity reasons, political and religious reasons, changing to a less ethnic name, changinga child’s surname to mother’s or father’s among others.

2. Recognize the Legal Name Change Restrictions

While the name change law allows you to change your name to anything you would like, there are some restrictions. Take a look:

1. You can’t change your name to escape debt liability or hide from criminal liability
2. You can’t change a name to commit a crime.
3. You shouldn’t change your name to mislead. For instance, taking a celebrity’s name is not allowed.
4. You can’t choose a deliberately confusing name
5. You can’t choose an intimidating name, offensive, or one that isobscene or considered a racial slur.

3. Understand the Name Change Options

There are different legal ways to initiate the name change. They include:

1. Obtaining a marriage certificate: In the case of marriage, you need to use the new name you want in your marriage license application. The new name will reflect in the marriage certificate, which is a legal document. Obtain several certified copies of your marriage certificate from the county clerk’s office.
2. Include a name change request in your divorce filing: When filing for divorce, you can request the judge to grant a name change request as part of the ruling. If the court agrees, you will get a name change order. Get several certified copies of the name change order.
3. File for a divorce decree amendment for the name change: If you didn’t include the name change request in the divorce papers, it’s possible to request an amendment to the divorce decree in some states. Get certified copies of the order as proof of your name change.
4. Filing a last name change petition: This is a standard legal name change in the case of divorces or any other name change. You will need to:

• complete the Petition for Individual Adult Name Change document
• avail your certified copy of your certificate,
• File Petition at County or Supreme Court
• Publish the name change (in some states).
• If the judge agrees with your petition, they will grant an Order Granting Leave to Change Name.
• Get certified copies of the name change order as proof of your legal name change.

4. Update your identification Documents

You have to apply for new identification documents after the name change. They include:

• Social security card: Visit your local Social Security office to update your SSN. You need Proof of Citizenship, Proof of Name Change, Proof of Identity, and old Social Security card.
• New driver’s license: After you get a receipt for your social security card, visit your local DMV office for a new driver’s license. You need the receipt from the Social Security office, current driver’s license, proof of address, andproof of name change.
• New passport: If you plan to travel for your honeymoon, don’t apply for a new passport until you get back. You can apply for a new passport online through the U.S. Department of State website.

5. Name Change Notifications

Once you have updated your documents, you still have to send notifications of your name change to relevant persons, institutions, and service providers.

These include your bank, school, post office, your doctor’s office, mortgage provider, credit card companies, subscription services, debtors and creditors, and any other party who might still use your previous name for correspondence.

Is It Difficult To Change Your Last Name?

The direct answer is yes. Changing your name through the traditional name change is tedious and hectic. There’s so much bureaucracy and paperwork and this is the last thing you want after your wedding or divorce. This is why more people now go through a last name change service.

These online services avail all the name change documents you need in one place and offer assistance in filling and mailing the completed forms. You can choose a package depending on the name change assistance you need. It is a fast and hassle-free way to complete your last name change.

Final Thoughts

Changing your name might be the new start you need in your life. Whatever the motivation behind the last name change, you need to appreciate the intricacies of a name change. There’s so much paperwork to complete and you have to make several office visits. Luckily, online name change services have removed the hassle for you.

The Processes involved after you Legally Change your Name

There are a number of reasons why people change their names, but the most common one is after getting married. Well, after the wedding excitement dies down, you’ll need to get down to business.

We’ve prepared a comprehensive name changing checklist for you, so you know what to do and when.

How to Change Your Name

Changing your name legally is a simple process even though it takes a while. As you know, you’ll need to go to different government offices to make sure the change is updated on different federal and state systems.

There is a to-do list you have to keep to ensure you complete all processes. With a checklist, you can easily keep track of what you still haven’t done. It also helps you stay organized because I bet this is not the only task you’ll be handling at the time.

You can either keep your to-do list on your phone or print it out; whatever works for you.

Government Agencies

Step one is visiting all government agencies to ensure that your new name is updated in their systems. You’ll need your marriage license for this step, and the first office you should visit is the Social Security office.

You’ll get a new social security card with your new name on it. Your social security administration is the most essential detail when you decide to change your name legally because it’s tied to all your other accounts.

Your next step will be making necessary updates with the Department of Motor Vehicles. You’ll get a new Driver’s License, update your vehicle registration and car title.

Another important change you should make is on your Voter Registration card. Some state allows you to do this at the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV), while in other, you have to go to an online portal to make the changes. HitchSwitch will save you from the long lines that are usually at the DMVs. When you’re a business person, it’s best to seek professional assistance to expedite the entire process

Lastly, update your Passport with your new name at the state department.

Work and Employment

Once you’re done with all the bureaucratic changes, you can now ensure your employer knows about your new name. If you’re self-employed, ensure your customers are in the loop. You can only take advantage of employment perks like health insurance, retirement contributions and more if you’re using the right name.

The sooner you update your accounts, the better for you, and the quicker it will be to complete the entire process. If you’re employed the first thing to do is to update your employer. Follow this up by updating your health insurance, business cards, W2 forms, 401K, life insurance, email, employer benefits, nameplate and other related work materials.

If you’re self-employed, update your work website, reintroduce your business to customers to ensure they know your new name. It is good to keep customers on the loop, because this way, they feel appreciated. After all, your business is nothing without your customers.

If you’re part of professional organizations and unions, you need to notify the certification boards about your name change. This should also include professional licenses and the State Bar. You should also make the necessary changes on your professional website if you have one. Remember, one does not have to own a business to have a professional website. You could be a freelancer or aspiring to be one.

Banks

You cannot cash your paychecks or access your bank accounts if the name on your ID does not match with the one on your bank credentials. To have easy access to your assets, make sure you do not skip this step. Make sure you update your new name on the following bank credentials;

1. Your credit cards
2. Checking accounts and bank cards
3. Savings accounts
4. Property titles, deeds and trusts
5. Investment accounts including 401Ks and IRAs
6. Mortgage and other loans

Home

Following through with the entire name change to-do list allows you to protect your home. Whether you own a property, or you’re renting your home, here you should update your new name with involved parties including, but not limited to;

1. The landlord
2. Homeowners/ renters insurance
3. Utilities like gas, electricity, water, internet, gas and cable

Medical

Whether you’re sound of health, or you have terminal health issues, updating your medical credentials with your new name is essential. After all, there is no knowing when you’ll have an emergency. Keep doctors, dentists, your Ob-Gyn, counsellors, therapists and other physicians in the loop.

Conclusion

When you’re changing your name legally, make sure that you work with a reliable name changing agency. HitchSwitch saves you from long lines at the DMVs and ensures you get all your paperwork in order. Remember to update your name with all relevant entities to avoid confusion in the future.