BC Divorce and Separation Name Change

No matter what your personal situation, any person who changed names after marriage retains the right to be known by their prior name. A married name is an assumed name, meaning your name never legally changed. You can go back to your prior name by simply showing your marriage certificate together with one other proof document that confirms your previous name. If you are divorced then simply show your Canadian divorce certificate if it lists both your married and former names.

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BC divorce name change

If you’re already divorced it’s easiest to show your court-issued divorce order, listing both your married and former names. If it does not include your former name then you also need to show either your marriage certificate or Canadian citizenship certificate listing your prior name. Click the button below to get your name change paperwork, just add your certificates to our notifications and send.

CHANGE NAMES

Reverting to prior name in BC

If you’re not divorced some companies can be a bit clueless about the name change process. You should only need to show your marriage certificate and birth certificate (or if born abroad, a citizenship certificate in your former name).  Some companies ask for a ‘resumption of former name certificate’, which is not available to BC residents and it’s not necessary. You can instead offer a statutory declaration or provide a document showing you have resumed your former name, such as a payslip or utility bill. More proof of your prior name makes your name change request less likely to be rejected or queried.

You can start using your prior name at any time regardless of your marital situation! To get your records and accounts changed, simply click the button above and select all the organizations to notify. We’ll provide all necessary paperwork – just sign and send!

Did you become a Canadian Citizen in your married name?

Your Canadian citizenship certificate lists your legal name. If you became a Canadian citizen in your married name you will need to show your divorce decree before the citizenship certificate can be reissued. You may choose to wait until your divorce is finalized before applying to get your records updated. If you want to get your records updated you may find companies asking for a range of alternate proof documents or they may insist on seeing your divorce decree.

Ready to start changing names?

There’s no official process or registration, simply start using your former name! All you need to do is get your accounts and identification changed to your former name. It’s best to change all your records at the same time so you don’t experience issues when proving your identity.

Click below and choose all the companies you need to notify. We provide ready-to-send forms, letters and emails. Just add your proof documents, sign and send! No guesswork, no unnecessary waiting on hold.

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Ready to change your name now?