Changing your name after marriage? Here’s what you need to know.

Ali and Tom Reddyhough married at Burswood On Swan in 2021. Photo: Kelly Mossop Photography

There are so many reasons why a person may choose to change their name. It might be because something has changed in life, like a marriage or divorce. Sometimes a change of name can help a person confirm their identity, it may be an important step in healing from trauma, or can simply be a way for a person to express themselves.

As there are so many reasons why someone may change their name, giving advice isn’t always straight forward. Here, I’ll outline some of the more common scenarios I come across, along with a few helpful links.

MARRIAGE

By far, the most common name change I see is taking a partner’s surname after marriage, or reverting to a previous name after divorce. If you only plan to change your surname, and you were married in Australia, this is fairly straight forward. You DO NOT need to lodge a formal name change. You’ll need the registered marriage certificate issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state or territory you were married. For Western Australia, this certificate costs $55 and can be ordered here.

If you and/or your partner plan to take a new surname together, or if you plan to change any part of your given names (including moving your birth surname to a second middle name), then YOU WILL need to lodge a formal change of name with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state you were born. For those born overseas, you may be eligible to apply for a name change in the state or territory you reside in. For those born in, or living in, Western Australia, you can learn more about that here.

Once you have your registered marriage certificate and/or your change of name certificate (if relevant), all you need to do is gather some identification (including marriage certificate, utility bill, birth certificate, passport etc) and bring it with you as you do the rounds to update your information to reflect your married name. Here's the order I suggest doing stuff in:

Jodie and Samantha tied the knot in 2019.
Photo: The Love Story Photography

• Driver's licence (will cost $30-ish), go to your local licensing centre and they will give you a form to fill in. Your new licence should arrive 10 days or so after that.

• Banks, take your marriage certificate into your banks and they will change your name on the spot.

• Medicare, send a letter or an email.

• Centrelink, log in and upload your marriage or change of name certificate. It’s a good idea to follow it up with a phone call to whichever department you receive support from.

• Utilities, usually as simple as an email or phone call, but may vary depending on the company.

• Passport, also a pain in the butt. Get some new passport photos taken and apply online for a NEW passport (not a renewal). If you have more than two years left on your current passport, this shouldn't cost you anything.

• Electoral roll, which can be done online here.

• Insurance / Roadside Assistance, as simple as a phone call.

• Doctor / Dentist / Other Health Professionals you see regularly.

• Superannuation, this one will usually require you sending a form and a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

• Professional associations, schools, child care etc.

After that, just change your name on things as you get a letter in the post. Loyalty cards are sometimes not worth changing until you actually use the shop.

If all of that sounds like a hassle, there are dedicated companies like Easy Name Change who have ready-to-purchase kits, designed to save you time in researching how to change names and filling out all the forms. They provide fully researched name change instructions and all corresponding paperwork for almost all the companies you will need to notify. In many cases, you simply attach a copy of your marriage certificate, sign and send. If you’d rather Easy Name Change take care of all that for you, then you can jump straight into choosing your companies here.

If you need any of your documents certified, I am able to do this for you free of charge as a Justice of the Peace.