Newlywed Needs Archives

Sep 13 2016

Blending Last Names: The Inside Scoop on Unconventional Name Change

The concept of blending last names after marriage makes sense. You were two independent people with different lives and different names. As you marry, you begin to blend your lives, finances, goals, families, and dreams together. A blended last name is a tangible representation of your newly blendedness (yes I made that word up).

While a combined last name may seem like a great option as newlyweds, the government doesn’t agree. As a name change service, we know all about the red tape associated with legal married name change, but it isn’t common knowledge. So here’s the scoop.

California residents are the only engage people in the US that have the option to blend their last names using the married name change process. BUT both partners must write the new last name on their marriage license application. If you think of blending after your wedding… you’re out of luck. Make that one more reason to discuss name change before saying “I do.”

What if you don’t live in California and still want to blend your last names? Traditionally both partners have to petition the court system for a legal name change order. Those documents, once issued, will allow you both to go through the name-change process and change your names. It’s not fun, but it’s how it’s done.

I recently read an article about a newlywed couple in Brooklyn who combined their last names from Franklin and Reed to Franklin Reed. They petitioned the court prior to their wedding and the judge granted their request. They celebrated with the #FranklinReedNoHyphen hashtag at their wedding! This goes to prove that where there is a will, there is a way. Even in married name change!

Should you need help changing your name, the MissNowMrs App and service can save you 13 hours of hassle.

Photo credit: Rachel Kara

May 27 2016

Married Name Change & Summer Vacation

It’s almost Memorial Day! Have you thought about married name change & summer vacation yet? In the blur of BBQs, parties, and your new life as a newlywed don’t forget about your name change. If you’re planning to change your maiden name after marriage, or have already started the process, now is the time to file all of your legal forms!

The worst thing you can do is partially change your name, or tell your spouse you changed it (but sorta haven’t). True story: I started changing my name and after three failed trips to get my new driver’s license in my new name, I had the idea for MissNowMrs. I wanted to be the first person to beta test my name-change service, so I put my personal transition to Mrs. on hold.

Everything was fine until my husband surprised me with a trip to Mexico. Which, he booked in my married name. But, my passport was in my maiden name. Cue the running around frantically calling the State Department and spending an entire day in line getting an expedited passport. I still have the worst-possible frazzled passport photo and cannot wait to file for a new passport next year.

Don’t let this happen to you! Learn from my married name change & summer vacation misadventures and change your name completely. It’s like pulling off a band aid. It’s so much more painful if you slowly drag it out. Just do it! The best news is, you can use the MissNowMrs app or easy online name change service to streamline the 13 hour process into 13 minutes and enjoy your summer travel with zero drama as a Mrs.

Help Me Change My Name

May 24 2016

Christine Bleakley Changes Her Name to Mrs. Lampard!

Another woman in the spotlight is changing her name after marriage! Christine Bleakly, a television presenter across the pond, recently married a former English soccer player, Frank Lampard. We just heard the rumor that Christine Bleakley changes her name to Mrs. Lampard after a gorgeous December wedding.

There a several key factors in a woman’s life that influence her name change decision. Age is a telling factor, as statistics show the older a woman is when she marries, the more likely she is to keep her maiden name. Christine is 37, so that would lean her towards keeping her name. She is also a media person, with name recognition. Studies have found that the more a women uses her name in her profession, the less likely she is to change it after saying “I do.”

Christine has a younger sister, and no brothers which is another factor that plays into name change decisions. When women do not have brothers to carry on the family name, they can be more inclined to carry it on themselves.

Education is yet another factor that plays into name change (complicated right?). Christine pursued a degree in politics, but did not finish her college education. The less education a woman has, the more likely she is to change her name. This doesn’t imply that women who change their names are unintelligent. It is more along the lines of women with their maiden names on advanced degrees are less likely to go through the hassle of changing to a married name. If you’re curious how the various scientific factors weigh in for your ideal name change, play the Married Name Game!

The final factor is the one that trumps all others…love. Many a name-change nay-sayer has met the love of their life and shocked everyone (including themselves) by joyfully changing their names. Mrs. Amal Clooney is a wonderful example of a professional woman who changed her name and seems all the happier for it.

While we’ll have to wait to see if Christine Bleakley change her name. We wish the new Mrs. Lampard a wonderful marriage filled with love, happiness, and adventure!

Help Me Change My Name

May 04 2016

Name Change After Marriage & the IRS 8822 Form

First comes love, then comes marriage, often followed by name change after marriage, and a ton of complicated name-change forms. The IRS 8822 is hands down the form that MissNowMrs customer support receives the most calls and emails about. No newlywed wants to make a mistake involving their taxes and their new married name, but the form isn’t exactly easy to understand (no surprise there).

The title of the form is the first confusing factor. It’s labeled as a change of address form, buuuuuuuuuut if you read the fine print on the second page of the form, it is also used to notify the IRS of your new married name. Why they cannot add name change to the title is beyond us (and yes, we’ve asked for the change).

So, even if you are not changing your address as a newlywed, you should file the IRS 8822 form if you are changing your name. There isn’t a fee to file it, and it provides peace of mind that you have informed the IRS that you Miss YXZ are now Mrs. ZYX and they can send your tax returns to you at your new name.

The decedent question is another confusing part of the IRS 8822. Everyone newlywed wants to know “What is a decedent?” Well, to be straightforward, it’s a dead person. Not something you really want to think about in your post-wedding bubble, but a decedent is important to the IRS. Why? If a dead person has left you money in your maiden name, the IRS wants to keep tabs on that as your name changes.

The good news is that if you don’t have a decedent in your life, you can simply skip that question. But, it is totally fine to feel bummed that you’re not a trust fund kid.

Should you want access to name-change experts who can answer any and all questions about the IRS 8822 and the other name change forms. Sign up for the MissNowMrs online name change service!

Apr 12 2016

7 Tips for Traveling During Your Name Change: MissNowMrs in Travel+Leisure

If you’re planning a honeymoon, you may be concerned about traveling during your name change. We’re all about anything name-change and name-change related at MissNowMrs. And, after helping over 500,000 nelwyweds, we’re name change experts. Sure, we know endless facts and minutiae about the in’s and out’s of the name-change form completion and filing in all 50 states and Canada. But, we also know a great deal of information about how to handle life and travel as you change your name after marriage.

Travel+Leisure recently asked our founder, Danielle Tate, to share some of her wisdom with newlywed women on the go. She provided 7 tips for name change while you travel. The first four are:

Tips to Traveling During Your Name Change:

1.) Book your honeymoon travel in your maiden name. It will take two weeks for your marriage certificate to be issued after your wedding, so you will be traveling with identification in your married name.
2.) The TSA will not accept a marriage certificate as a form of identification. So, bring your driver’s license or passport when you fly.
3.) Most airlines will not update a name on a ticket, and will charge full fare for a new ticket in a different name. If you are concerned that your spouse will make a mistake with your name and travel plans, opt for travel insurance.
4.) If you filed for a new passport in your maiden name to travel for your honeymoon, you have 12 months from your wedding date to file for a free passport in your new name! Think of it as a wedding gift from the State Department.

For the rest of Danielle’s tips please check out the full article at Travel+Leisure here. Happy name-changing and traveling ladies!

Help Me Change My Name