Bank account in married and maiden names

[Squarepegina]

Married 31 years and typically changed my name. Now about to start a small business and want to do so in my maiden name but the bank refuses to allow it. I have birth certificate and marriage certificate to prove I am who I am but they insist that I can only have an account in my married name.

I can’t quite believe it and I’m very angry. Why on earth can I not have two names? If I can prove it is my maiden name then where is the problem?

Dockray thanks for that, I’ll talk to them in the morning.

Ok so does anyone know this...if I change to my maiden name on my driving licence as suggested and get a utility bill, does that not mean my passport has to change too? Because on the DVLA site it says I need deed of poll proof to change my name.

Yes to the previous poster it is a lot of effort but it really matters to me, my married name has always felt my mil name and I’d like to reclaim my own back on a professional basis.

Deed polls are free online and your passport does not need to change if you change your driving licence.

This is an interesting thread. We're planning on getting married next year, but I'm self-employed and known under my maiden name – and I don't want to lose all the various stuff I've built up in that name in a business sense. I'm known under that name by colleagues and clients, there are articles online about me using my maiden name, etc. I'd planned to keep using my maiden name professionally, but use my married name for domestic stuff (one of the main reasons we're going to get married is so that me, my partner and our child share the same last name, for example). It looks like I'll need to research the best way forward, but it seems some people here are doing this with no problems, which is heartening!

Celebelly you should be fine if you keep the two going. I’m having problems because I didn’t. Glad if this thread encourages others to think about it.

Blimey! When I read things like this it makes me very glad that I never changed my name when I got married. Bank accounts, drivers license, passport, literally EVERYTHING is in my own name. A lot of people would have no idea what my husband's surname is. For ages one of the neighbours thought DH was John mysurname.

Hope you get sorted OP.

celebelly I'd advise keeping at least one of passport / driving licence and one utility bill in maiden name

Thanks! I'll make sure to do that.