Why Women Should Not Change Their Name when they get Married

Disclosure: Its just my opinion, I have nothing against women changing their names when they get married, I was one myself.

1. Depending on what state you live in you have to change your Social Security card first before you change your license, and don’t forget you need all that supporting documentation proving who you are! (Don’t forget that marriage license, I hope you got multiple copies!)

2. Then once your license is changed, then you can change your insurance and any other related documents, including all those credit cards you have!

3. Have a drink and continue on reading!

4. At work, your username could change if you want it to. I’d advise not changing it because a lot of programs use your username as a key and you could lose reports and information saved under your current name.

5. Don’t forget the websites you already belong to if you’ve used your maiden name as part of a username!

6. Relatives may not know who to make the annual holiday gift check out to and they continue to send you checks with your maiden name, so your bank may not know who you are!

7. Have a drink and then continue on.

8. Should things not workout - it’s a PITA to change your married name back to your maiden name. (Repeat steps in this order 3, 1, 3, 2, 3)

9. And you have to bring along your supporting documentation – including divorce documents proving your name change.

10. Relatives may forget that you changed your name – and then changed it back again. Be forgiving the first time they slip up and send you a Christmas card with your married name on it. Your friends should know better!

11. New people at work (if you still work for the same firm like I do) will have difficulty finding you in the company directory – since they knew you with your married name, not your maiden.

12. New(er) people at work will congratulate you when they see in the company directory that your name has changed, just accept it nicely like you should and move on. Who knows, you may get gifts out of the deal!

13. Stalkers and those holding out their affections will now come forward expressing their undying love now that you’re back on the market….don’t you wish you never changed your name! ;)