Congratulations on deciding to get married.
Wedding time is a time for the couple to make many decisions – planning their nuptials, including ceremony and reception details, and honeymoon plans.
In addition, there is the merging of two households if they don’t already live together, applying for the marriage license and then deciding whether or not they are going to keep their name or change it.
The latter decision will affect both the bride and groom throughout their marriage. Although in most cases, a woman chooses to take her new husband’s last name, that isn’t always the case. There are other possibilities that some couples choose, such as hyphenating their married name – using both the woman’s and the man’s last names – combining them into one hyphenated name.
Sometimes this applies only to the woman who decides to keep her maiden name and hyphenate it with her new husband’s last name. Another alternative that some couples choose is for both the husband and the wife to use the hyphenated name. This often works well when children arrive because it eliminates the decision on whose last name the children will use.
If the husband decides to use both names, he will have to change it legally by submitting paperwork with local municipalities. However, a newly married woman changes her name legally with the marriage certificate.
Compromise is the biggest reason so many women choose to hyphenate their last names. It is a way of keeping their own identity while also keeping their future husband happy. It allows an individual to stay connected to accomplishments that were achieved before the marriage.
However, hyphenating a name can be a bad thing since hyphenated names are more difficult for computers to handle. Often times, the hyphen isn’t recognized by the computer’s code and can cause problems later on.
Whether you are going through a complicated divorce, child custody battle or simply need information regarding changing your name, contact the Orange County family law offices of Amy M. Montes.
We understand that of all legal matters, family law issues are the most sensitive, which is why we are committed to protecting our client’s confidentiality and best interests.
