FYI name change stuff.

Went to SS today, fairly painless. Just bring the original marriage license, and a form of ID with your old name, like your drivers license or birth certificate. It takes about 5 minutes (minus the line time) and they mail it to you in about a week.
Then went to DMV - be prepared to take a pic, I wasn't and I was horrified I had to take one! (maybe I'll post it when I get it for laughs...) - you can't change your name and use your old picture. For this, just bring your orig. marriage license and your drivers license. I was surprised they didn't take my old license. This cost 3$. Also, if your title is in your name, bring it and your registration and you will also be able to change the name on your registration at the same time. Apparantly if the name on your reg. and your license doesn't match, you can get a ticket. I didn't know this and didn't think to bring the title.
ALSO for those thinking of hyphenating, I just found out too late that you can hyphenate on your marriage license, and then you will be free to use either name whenever you want. Had I known this, I definitley would have hyphenated, as I wanted to keep my orig. name for the office.

Re: FYI name change stuff.

Thanks for the info

Re: FYI name change stuff.

Thanks for sharing! I plan to use my maiden name for business and my married name for everything else too. Good to know that if I hyphenate, then I can do just that.

Re: FYI name change stuff.

Just be careful if you are a lawyer or a doctor, you have to sign your legal name and therefore if you hyphenate you have to sign and use your hyphenated name when you work. You can not just separate the names. It is all so complicated!!!

Re: FYI name change stuff.

Hmmm. That does complicate things for me.

Re: FYI name change stuff.

huh, didn't know that. I'm an NP....not really a doctor but I do see patients and sign medical records....I really want to keep signing my maiden name (thats the name on like a million Rx pads and stuff at the office) - any lawyers on here with any advice??

Re: FYI name change stuff.

Actually I am both (long and complicated) so I know that I am practicing as an Attorney now and any court documents etc has to be signed with the name that I am admitted to the bar with and if I change my name I have to petition to the court to ask for the name change on the bar admission stuff and then I have to sign all legal documents with whichever name I chose.

As a physician it could get sticky if you are signing another name and your license is different. I am not currently practicing as a physician so I have not had to come across that issue.

I have chosen not to change my name because of this problem. Although at home I can be Mrs. FH's name instead of Dr. My maiden name like I am called at work.

Re: FYI name change stuff.

What a pain! I haven't changed my name on my license or my ss card yet because DH booked us a trip for Thanksgiving and he booked it with my maiden name so now I have to wait until after we get back to deal with all this fun stuff. Although I have already changed my name on my credit cards and at work...I feel like I'm in limbo, who am I .

Re: FYI name change stuff.

Thanks for the info! You girls are so helpful! And Applesfa sorry about your mid-name change experience, now I know to keep that in mind for vacations and honeymoon!

Question for ABC

I am an attorney as well. I don't want to change my name professionally. How can I continue to use my maiden name professionally and change my name for bills, driver's license, etc? Are there rules somewhere that I can read?

Re: FYI name change stuff./jpsgirl

what did they charge u three dollars for??I didnt pay anything and took a pic too

becky

go to the nysba.org
website and call them and ask!! they answered lots of questions for me

Re: FYI name change stuff.

Thanks that was hepful!

Re: FYI name change stuff.

Becky, you can't do that. You have to have your legal name on the license etc. If you want to practice law with your maiden name that is your legal name and you can't put a non-legal name on your driver's license etc. Unfortunately this is one of the fields that you can't just use whatever name you want in. If you find something different out let me know but this is what I was told when I checked it out. I wanted to do the same thing as you and was very disappointed.

Re: FYI name change stuff.

hey girls! I was told that if you used both names w/o hyphenating then you can legally use either name. A hyphen creates a whole new name, especially banking sit., where you'd have no choice but to use both.

I was going on the assumption that this was ok, but now I'm not sure Is there anywhere we can check?