name change + marriage liscence question

You only have 3 options:

1. Keep your name the way it is.
2. Take your FH last name (yours will drop)
3. Add FH last name with (-) to yours

Any other changes, must be done through civil court.

Trust me, i've been searching this info for 1 year. I've called every place in the world. This is the way is done in the state of New York ........
Don't you hate it........

How frustrating!!!

I don't even have a middle name so I thought how convenient would it be to just have my maiden name as my middle name!

Thx!

I changed my last name to 'maiden space husband' without any problem. When I filled out our marriage license application, I just wrote the names with a space between them. They were that way on our license and now are that way on our marriage certificate.

I know it doesn't say you can do that, but you can. I did not have to go to the court. I went to SS last week and now have my new SS card with my names exactly that way.

In other states (such as NC where I just moved), your maiden name becomes a second middle name automatically by marriage if you choose. Not so in NY. I had to explain this to them at the DMV. But my last name is now MAIDEN NEWNAME with no hyphen.

Good luck to the other girls trying to do this! I'm very pleased it worked out for me.

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Posted by springsandra

I changed my last name to 'maiden space husband' without any problem. When I filled out our marriage license application, I just wrote the names with a space between them. They were that way on our license and now are that way on our marriage certificate.

I know it doesn't say you can do that, but you can. I did not have to go to the court. I went to SS last week and now have my new SS card with my names exactly that way.

In other states (such as NC where I just moved), your maiden name becomes a second middle name automatically by marriage if you choose. Not so in NY. I had to explain this to them at the DMV. But my last name is now MAIDEN NEWNAME with no hyphen.

Good luck to the other girls trying to do this! I'm very pleased it worked out for me.

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where did you go? I know of another bride here that tried doing that, and they told her no. They made her fill out another application.

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Posted by KYBride09

where did you go? I know of another bride here that tried doing that, and they told her no. They made her fill out another application.

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Wow that's unfortunate that it isn't universal around the state!

I went to Borough Hall in Brooklyn (Kings County) for ours. I filled out the application online and we were first on line the next morning to get it and the whole process took 15 minutes. It was perfect.

After the fact, it took a month to get the actual marriage certificate (they mailed it 8/13 - we were married 7/18) but other than that, the name was fine.

I read the materials a thousand times, and it doesn't say you *can't* make your last name two words -- it just says you have the option to hyphenate or combine the names. I chose to combine them as two words, and it worked legally.

I liken it to having a last name like 'Van Dam' or 'de Jesus' or something -- those are two-word last names.

Might be worth doing the process in Brooklyn if two last names is what you really want without having to go to court to change your middle name.

You filled out the application online??? How??

I already have my marriage license, but am not married yet, if I were to go to Brooklyn, could they change the name choice since I was told I can ONLY hyphenate it, so I had no option???

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Posted by dolphinlover83

You filled out the application online??? How??

I already have my marriage license, but am not married yet, if I were to go to Brooklyn, could they change the name choice since I was told I can ONLY hyphenate it, so I had no option???

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In the 5 boroughs of Manhattan, you fill out the application online before you go there. You bring your confirmation number with you, and all the information is already entered into their screen so it's much faster.

There is more information about it here:

http://www.cityclerk.nyc.gov/html/marriage/license.shtml

This is what it says about name change options:

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Name Change Options

Introduction
Decision to change name when getting married
Name change procedure and options
Legal implications of this option
Right to adopt any name

Introduction

* New York State Law permits you to change your last name (surname) as a result of getting married.
* This law does not permit you to change your first name or middle name through marriage.
* View the exact language of the Domestic Relations Law of the State of New York.

Decision to change name when getting married

* Your surname does not change automatically upon marriage unless you elect to change it.
* Nothing in the law requires you to change your name when getting married; it is your personal choice.
* You are not required to have the same surname as your spouse.

Name change procedure and options

* Should you elect to change your surname, the change takes effect immediately upon the completion of your Marriage Ceremony.
* Either you or your prospective spouse may elect to change your surname by entering the new surname in the appropriate space on the application.
* The new name entered must consist of one of these four surname options:
o Option 1: the surname of either spouse; or
o Option 2: any former surname of either spouse; or
o Option 3: a name combining into a single surname, all or a segment of, the premarriage surname, or any former surname, of each spouse; or
o Option 4: a combination surname separated by a hyphen, provided that each part of such combination surname is the premarriage surname, or any former surname, of each of the spouses.

Legal implications of this option

* The use of the name change option will provide you with a record that you elected to change your surname through marriage.
* Your Marriage Certificate constitutes proof that the use of the new surname or the retention of the former name is lawful.
* Neither the use of, nor the failure to use, this option of selecting a new surname through the use of the Marriage License application, affects your right to adopt a different surname through usage at some future date.

Right to adopt any name
New York Law states that you have the right to adopt any name you wish simply by using that name consistently and without intent to defraud.

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I used option 3, which I combined the names with a space between them. Nothing in the language there seemed to say you couldn't do that, so I just did it.,

Just so you know, the final portion does say you can adopt any name you wish and use it consistently. So if you want two last names or if you want to use your husband's name, you can, even if you don't change your name legally. It just will not be on your driver's license or SS card. I plan to only use my husband's name, although both are on my legal documents.

I filled out the paperwork myself with mylast then hislast with no hyphen and I had to change it.

You are not allowed to do both last names without a hyphen. I know some people have gotten by without they hyphen and they are so lucky!!! But according to the law, you aren't allowed.

You also are no longer allowed to change your middle name to your maiden name without going to court for a legal name change. But, a legal name change will change your birth certificate (so my birth cert would say that I was born with my husbands last name).

SO basically, the whole thing is ridiculous in the state of NY. We can't even have our names the way we want them without a huge to do! Its not like I want to change my name to Bozo the Clown or something--just want to keep a name that I already had as part of my name!

Anyway, anyone know how to to a legal name change so I can change my middle name? Also, are you allowed 2 middle names so that I can keep my current middle name and have my maiden as a second middle name?