How to Change Your Name After Marriage

To Change or Not to Change. What’s Best for Your Family?

Name change norms have relaxed over the years and couples have several options to choose from. Also, it’s far more common these days to have children from a previous relationship involved, which raises additional issues. Whatever option you choose, LegalShield is here to help. LegalShield lawyers can make the entire name change process quick, easy and ensure it’s completed correctly, for a fraction of normal attorney fees.

Modern Name Change Options

Do Nothing

While in decline, 80% of brides change their names after marriage. That said, there is no law that says you have to change your name. If you don’t change your name, there is no legal action you need to take.

Standard Approach

If one party decides to take the other’s last name, or hyphenate their last name, there are legal hoops you must jump through that take some people a year or more to complete. We can help.

Brand New Name

While not common, you can change your name to almost anything you want. Just know this route has a couple of exclusions and few extra hurdles to jump over.
Learn more in our marriage guide.

Children

Like you, your children can keep their current name, change to the new last name of your spouse or adoptive parent or change to a completely new name. Another set of rules and considerations apply.

A Suite of Helpful Resources

The first step is to discuss the options with your soon to be spouse and select the right route for your relationship. Once you know what you’d like to do with your name, it’s time to figure out what documents you need to file and where to file them. That’s where LegalShield comes in.

LegalShield is your partner in successfully navigating the legal requirements of any type of name change.

Get Educated

If you’re not sure which way to go or you’re curious about what’s legally required for each option, check out these free name change resources.

Reasons People Change Their Names

The Legal Guide to Getting Married - A comprehensive guide that covers the name change process (including a checklist) and other marriage related legal issues such as prenuptial agreements, child custody and your Will and Living Will.

Get Legal Help

So it’s done correctly and as easily as possible, LegalShield offers legal plans that provide an attorney to help you through the name change process. The average fee for name change legal support is $900. Our legal plans, which start at $24.95 per month, include a host of other valuable legal services such as the following.