Workers Compensation: Your Safety Net

Getting married is a whirlwind of activity. However, the work doesn't stop after the ceremony is over and the guests go home. You still have to take the appropriate steps to change your name so you can be known by your new name. The following five tips will help take the guesswork out of the name change process so you can move on with your newly married life.

1. Contact the Local Courthouse

You should contact the courthouse in the locale where you were married, as well as the courthouse where you live. Submit a copy of your valid, signed marriage license, and the county clerk will file this document and update records accordingly.

2. Contact the Social Security Administration

This is one of the most important agencies to contact after you are married. You will need to fill out the paperwork and provide the appropriate supporting documents to receive a corrected Social Security card. This process cannot be handled online, however, you can obtain the application and list of required documents on the Social Security Administration's website.

3. Contact the Bureau of Motor Vehicles

You should also obtain a new driver's license or state identification card from the local Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Check our your state's website to determine what the required documents are; generally, your current driver's license and an official copy of your marriage certificate will suffice.

4. Contact Your Employer

Once you return to work, you should let your employer's Human Resource Department know that you were married so they can update in-house records and tax forms with your new name and number of dependents. 

5. Contact Other Interested Parties

Obviously, you will want to contact all of your friends and family to let them know your name changed if they weren't at the wedding. You should also contact creditors, hospitals and doctor's offices, mortgage or rental companies and anyone else that you have a business relationship with, to let them know of your name change. Your auto, home, life and health insurance providers should be notified. You may also wish to change your name on magazine subscriptions, websites you use and any memberships you have with libraries, gyms and other organizations.

If you have any questions or think you may be missing something, you should contact your family law attorney right away. Your attorney is the best source of information on all family law topics, to include marriage, separation, divorce and name changes subsequent to these actions. To learn more, contact a law firm like Watson Law Firm.