As an authorized Australian celebrant of 15 years, I’ve worked with hundreds of exceptional wedding suppliers from huge venues to the small, special and quirky product and service providers that make each wedding so unique.
One of the smaller, but most valuable and time-saving, services I’ve ever come across actually doesn’t have anything to do with the wedding itself, but the process of changing your last name after marriage.
In my experience, up to 80% of newly married couples are choosing to change their last name after getting married.
5 years ago, the typical newlywed (which can be either spouse, but is still most commonly brides) had an average of 24 places to notify of their name change. Fast forward to now, this has increased to an average of 27 different notifications. It’s a task that is frequently underestimated and it can certainly drag out for most people.
This is where Easy Name Change comes in.
They’ve been around for as long as I have, and over this time have continually developed and improved the best name change services not just in Australia, but worldwide.
We asked Genevieve Dennis from Easy Name Change to share her pro tips for saving time and pain when tackling the increasingly large and sometimes complex task of changing your last name after you get married.
*Unbridely is sponsored by its readers. When you purchase products or services through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission.*
To learn more about the potential pitfalls when changing your last name after marriage, have a listen to my interview with the founder of Easy Name Change, Genevieve Dennis in Ep19 of the Unbridely Podcast: 3 mistakes people make when changing their last name after getting married with Easy Name Change
What are my name change options?
It may sound obvious, but at the very start of the name change process, you need to make a decision about what you want your name to be.
And stick with it.
An Australian marriage certificate allows either party to the wedding to take the other’s surname. That could mean dropping your current surname or using both spouses’ surnames together.
Be certain of your choice, because changing your mind after preparing your paperwork and starting notifications just adds more time and pain!
And while we’re here talking about your marriage certificate, not everyone knows that your official Births Deaths and Marriages certificate is the only document you need to start changing your name. You don’t need a birth certificate or any special applications for a new name. When companies want proof of your new name, it’s simply your official Births Deaths and Marriages marriage certificate.
2. Use a name change kit
A good quality name change kit provides you with a sort of shopping list of companies where you simply pick which ones you need to notify. They send you a list with detailed instructions for each of your companies, saving you hours of calling around, waiting on hold, sending emails and waiting for a response.
Easy Name Change kits actually go one better and also provide ready-to-send notifications (forms, letters and ready-to-forward emails), so you just attach your marriage certificate and send!
Forms are pre-filled for you, so there are no annoying little boxes to fill out. There are a range of personalised name change kits out there. And you can expect to pay between $35 to $50 for a kit where you print off your own letters and forms. You can pay more for printing and more again for kits where they arrange certified copies and do all your mailing administration for you.
While there’s no real downside to managing or DIYing your own name change, you do need to be more organized and allow a lot more time – you can estimate an average of 20 minutes per company for research and administration. 24 companies x 20 minutes = 8 extra hours.
3. Make the most thorough checklist possible
No matter which way you go; DIY or name change kit, changing your name starts with a thorough checklist. Name Change kits provide a built-in checklist, where you can scroll through their database of companies broken into sub-categories like banks, credit cards, utilities and more.
If you only have 9 or 10 companies think again as there are probably more companies you haven’t thought about yet. If you are doing it yourself then use the free online checklist creator.
Your checklist should include a space to include notes so you can record companies’ phone numbers, mailing addresses (for forms and letters), email addresses (for when you need to email your request) and what proof to include. Also, be sure to ask if your proof documents need to be certified. Only about half of companies need a letter, form or email, so take notes for places where you should log into your account, call or visit in person.
4. Attempt to get it done in 2 days
While this may not be possible for everyone, try to set aside time to smash out the research, notifications and in-person visits quickly. Do the research then send the forms, letters and emails straight after.
There’s a lot to remember so having all the information top of mind will save you a lot of hassle. You’ll also know if you have any unusual requirements, like some companies needing updated photo ID where others may need it in your old name (don’t stress too much about the old vs new name on photo ID, as most places that require photo ID don’t mind which name is on it).
If you get all your identification and records consistently under the same name in a short period of time, you won’t run into problems having to prove your identity. It can get super messy when you go to apply for a mortgage or change jobs, only to realise that your super fund or bank account is still in your former name.
It’s also super handy having all your research and paperwork prepared so that you can arrange all the proof documents in one hit (more on that in the next pro tip).
5. Count your photocopies & certified copies
Time to get all your proof documents sorted! Are you excited yet?
By now you’ll have a tidy stack of forms and letters and a list of who needs what.
Simply run through your notes and count up how many companies need a copy of your marriage certificate to be mailed in (tip – it’s usually over 90% of them). About half of newlyweds will also have 2 or 3 companies that also require photo ID.
Next, count how many of these copies should be certified. In many cases, any of the usual professionals can certify your documents, such as a teacher, doctor, chiro, CPA, pharmacist, or police officer. A small number of companies insist on a solicitor or Justice of the Peace to certify. The certifier needs to physically see the original before marking the photocopy with words like “true copy of the original”, then doing their official signing and whatnot on the copy.
6. Sort and send (or upload)
Now shove the letter or form into an envelope with the necessary proof and send it!
You’ll also need to scan your marriage certificate and possibly even your photo ID and the certified copies too! These are now ready to be attached to your emails and sent off.
Companies like PayPal need you to log into your account and upload the proof.
You’re almost there!! mmm, satisfying…
7. Take 2 hours off work
This is by FAR the MOST painful part of the whole process (except perhaps tracking down a J.P.). Chances are you need to visit 2 or 3 places in person. There is simply no way around it, no matter what excuses you come up with (trust us, we’ve tried them all)!
This short, but critical, list includes banks with large branch networks (think ANZ, CommBank, Bendigo, NAB). The banks with less than 5 branches usually have a mail option. You also need to attend your state department of transport for a new driver’s licence and be ready in case a new photo needs to be taken.
If you have a Centrelink CRN you also need to get that done in person at any Centrelink location.
Remember that chat we had before about getting it all done now? While it’s tempting to put things like Centrelink off for a few years (especially if you’re not drawing benefits), future you with a small screaming baby who doesn’t know where the marriage certificate is stored will thank you.
We suggest taking 2 hours off work midweek, avoiding lunch times and late afternoon, as lines will be shorter. Then you can just get these annoying companies done all at once. It also does not matter where in the process these in-person visits take place. You can choose to get banks and driver’s licence changed at the start, at the end or somewhere in between.
8. DON’T book that flight!
Not really something for the to-do list, more a trap for inexperienced name changers (let’s face it, that’s pretty much everyone)!
If you’re planning on either booking a flight or travelling around the same time as your name change, then ALWAYS book your ticket/s under the name that CURRENTLY appears in your passport.
If you use your new name for bookings and your passport can’t be changed in time, you run the risk of forfeiting the trip as international bookings must be an exact match to your passport and some companies can be downright difficult when it comes to reissuing tickets in a different name.
Complete any travel booked under your former name before applying for a new passport. Your Australian passport will be replaced for free, providing you have at least 2 years of validity remaining.
It’s perfectly legal to travel using identification in your former name. That’s because your married name is not a legal name change. It’s known as an assumed name and your birth certificate does not change. What all that means is that you can chop and change between your married name and former name by just showing your official marriage certificate, no matter if you are married, divorced or just changed your mind. Likewise, if you have a foreign-issued passport, you can leave the name unchanged and keep using it.
9. Watch the mail
Like snail mail? Really?
We mean to watch for the name on your correspondence!
Most companies don’t confirm your name change has taken place. It’s literally just a change in their system. But mail goes missing and some people hate their job, so it’s entirely possible things get missed or maybe you forgot about a life insurance policy or term deposit.
Watch to see what name companies are using when you receive emails, and statements or log into your various accounts.
If you have missed something (or maybe they have missed something) having a spare certified copy of your marriage certificate and photo ID can be super handy.
