Whilst it is common for a married name change to take place within a few months of a wedding, there is no time frame requirement. A spouse can change from their birth to married name years after the wedding. Conversely, you can revert to your maiden name at any time, regardless of your marital status.
Tips
- When changing names, aim to get all your records and accounts moved into your new name within a month. Otherwise, you could run into difficulties when proving your identity.
- If you have decided to change names, but it’s a hassle to update your details at work, you can still be known by your maiden name at work even if everything else has changed. Just make sure your payroll has updated bank details and international flights are booked under the correct name as it appears in your passport.
- Aim to change names at any places where you need to attend in person on a mid-week morning when wait times are shorter.
Marriage, Divorce and Separation
There’s no time limit to when you change names! Many of our customers had no intention to take their spouse’s surname, then changed their minds years later when planning a family. We’ve also had customers reverting to their former name even though they were divorced 20 years ago. All you need is your official marriage certificate. You can reorder this if needed. If you are going back to your former name you’ll also need one additional document; either your official birth certificate or divorce order.
Legal name change
When your name is legally changed you have agreed to cease using your former name for all purposes immediately. You should start using your new legal name straight away. Some states require you to update your driver’s licence within 14 days but this is not always possible. We’ve not come across any situations where a timeline has been strictly enforced. You should aim to get all your identity records and accounts moved over to your new name as soon as practical. If you have flights booked in your former name you may decide to leave your passport unchanged until your return.
How long does it take to get records all changed over?
If you’re doing your own research and preparing all the paperwork yourself, it usually takes 2 or 3 weeks to get all the research complete. Then allow several hours to complete the paperwork, get certified copies and send everything off. Companies usually update the name on your account within a few days of receiving your request. The ATO and Medicare can take 4 weeks to update your name.
Get it done in 15 minutes!
Our name change kits only take 15 minutes! Got proof of your new name? You can have all your notifications sent off within the hour! No time wasted on research or looking for forms.
