Legal question on signing wedding cert.

[tangles66]

This question will be a long shot unless we have a lawyer on the forum but thought i would ask anyway! How do I sign my wedding certificate? I am divorced and plan to just use my name from my first hubby along with my new name until my son is graduated then drop that name and use the new hubbys name solo. For example jones-smith then after my sons is 18 drop the jones and just use smith. I dont want to have a bunch of legal fees in order to drop the name so do I sign just smith, but keep using the jones-smith?? I am thinking the way I sign it is going to be my "legal" name and I would have to pay to change that if I just ad my old last name to school stuff for my son ect... I then can just drop it whenever I choose Anyone know

[Betsy]

Ok well I just looked at my marriage cert. and I signed it w/ my maiden name, so I am guessing you have to sign it w/ your legal name but I don't know for sure, I don't think it is that big of a deal as far as legality b/c it doesn't matter what you "sign" on the sheet, you are more concerned with what your legal name will be afterwards, right? And that has to be done once you get back. I would ask the social security office, that is where I had to go when I changed my name!

 

PS Where are you from in IA? I live in IA too ! Good Luck!!

[tangles66]

Cedar Rpids How bout you?

[latricej919]

I think you have to sign it with your current legal name, but I am not a lawyer. Just don't see anyway around that.....

[YoursTruly]

have you tried researching your question on a legal website or a family lawyer. Or maybe you can try calling the county clerk and maybe someone in the registry department can answer the questions based on experience. Good luck

[montegobay09]

I would say you need to use your legal name right now...that's just an assumption though.

[Alipires1]

I know this girl who signed her her marriage certificate and became Sirolli but she continues to use Morris for school. I would sign to be legally Jones, but just sign everything Jones-Smith. Really all u need is what you want people to know you as. You can introduce yourself as Jones-Smith and e-mail his teachers as Jones-Smith. I have a lot of parents that do that.

[JulieG]

It would make sense to me that the only name you can sign is your legal name, or else its not you who is legally married. Does that make sense. After the wedding, when you come home and change your name, you tell them what you want it to be and change it to that on your license, etc..., but you can't sign a name that is not your name on your marriage license. I.E. if you are now Lisa Jones but when you get married you will be Lisa Jones-Smith, you sign Lisa Jones, because that is your legal name on the day you sign your certificate and when you change it, you become Lisa Jones-Smith.

[Racine.Ryan]

I agree with the legal name.