How to legally change your name

[rodent]

another tip- if you are going to the social securituy office & have not filled the form out in advance, be sure to have your parent's SSN with you. you will need that for the form.

[Tracy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnnR Well, yes, I could have (long story!). Basically, when we got divorced we did it ourselves (no lawyers) and one of the forms asked if anyone would be changing their name. I said yes, and put my new/maiden name in the form. Fast forward about 1 year later (I hadn't done anything to change my name back yet). I went to refinance on my house, and signed all the paperwork as my married name (Thompson) since that's what I was living as, but since I had been divorced since I bought the house I had to show my divorce decree. The day after I refinanced, the woman called me back and said I had to resign everything as Herrick (new/maiden name). I explained that I had never bothered to actually change my name back. She then told me that I had already legally changed my name by just putting it in that form. I was like "what?!" So after that (and veryifying with an attorney about what the heck my legal name was!) I began the slow process of changing everything back to my maiden name. Because I travel every week, I had to be careful of all my flights I had, what my ID said, etc. - and so it was easier just to not do anything. But when I started my new job in Oct I had them hire me with my maiden name, and got a credit card in that name, etc. Now, about half of my life is in my old married name, and the other half in my maiden name. Oh, and since Paul and I are moving back to MN I wanted to wait to get my drivers license updated, I never got my IL drivers license). And that's about when Paul proposed. lol So I suppose I could wait to change everything to Paul's last name ... but some things would be going from one name, and some the other. And my legal name is my maiden name. See - long, boring story. Funny, eh!? It's actually a running joke about how I have no idea what my name is anymore. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Anyway ... that's my story!

WOW - you could have replaced your name with mine and taken out the refinancing part... and that would have been my exact story - ha ha.

[boscobel]

BUMPING since I have seen some people questioning how to do this...

[Ginalyn]

Yes thanks for bumping! Did anyone call any of the major credit companies (Equifax, Experian, Trans Union) to make sure they know your name was changed? One of my bosses was telling me that she got denied when she tried to open up a new bank account because one of the credit reporting companies wasn't aware that she changed her name.

 

I tried calling the companies but in order to speak to an actual customer service agent you have to have an actual credit report from them, ugh!

[jajajaja]

I never did Gina. I still have some old cards in my old name and I opened a new checking account with my new name. Maybe she got denied based upon the Patriot Act or something? I know when I opened my account I had to show a bill that has my address on it. Other than my marriage license and photo ID, I don't think they asked for any other documentation.

[Ginalyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LC_Rachel I never did Gina. I still have some old cards in my old name and I opened a new checking account with my new name. Maybe she got denied based upon the Patriot Act or something? I know when I opened my account I had to show a bill that has my address on it. Other than my marriage license and photo ID, I don't think they asked for any other documentation.

Hum, I don't really know the stipulations of the Patriot Act. I guess I won't worry about it then. Thanks!!

[KRB]

This is all good information. Thanks!!!

[meghanmbm]

I was just wonding what I was supposed to do, thanks for posting!

[sperger]

This is a great thread, thanks all for posting!

[merocket59]

You ladies area amazing thanks so much for this thread, it has saved me so much time!!