To have thought I could use either name

[sickandtiredofsick]

I’m married but I thought I could use either my married or maiden name ?
I didn’t realise I had to use one or the other and now apparently my contents insurance isn’t valid ? I had no idea I thought it was fine to use either and had take then policy out about 4 years before getting married
Feel so stupid now

I use both names
Completely untrue that you have to change it.

Slat3- if your 2 main forms of id are in different names it might cause a problem when you come to renew online. You can renew your passport with your dl.

You can use both names. I've done so for 30 years. So long as you are not defrauding anyone you can call yourself what you like. Occasionally you may need to show your marriage certificate to prove your ID, but getting married doesn't invalidate the policy.
But if the company have told you it does, and you're not midclaim, I'd change to a different insurance company, this lot are clearly charlatans.

I had a bank account in my maiden name and another in my married name. I don't think this would be easy to set up now because of the requirements for id, although you might manage it with id documents in maiden name plus a marriage certificate. But as pp said, it's not illegal to use more than one name, provide you're not doing it to defraud.

I use both names. It's fine.

Legally I'm still my maiden name - work, bank, passport, insurance, hospital etc but socially I use my married name for things like kids school etc mainly so we have the same name on things and they know who my kid is!

I'm divorced and stuck with my married name on my passport purely because I'm not paying £75 just to change my name. I just book holidays in my married name.
Everything else has reverted back to my maiden name except bt who weirdly changed it to all manor or miss/mrs married name/maiden name.

If you want to use your married name, you have to change your name officially, and then use that name on any insurance policy/legal document

If you are female and marrying a male, and you want to swap your own last name with his, as is traditional, then you do not need to change your name officially. You just send your marriage certificate off to the passport office and the DVLA, and anyone else who you need to change your name with, and let them know you are now Mrs X

I use both my names all time. Got a mortgage with one, bank details with another, doctor one, dentist the other. Work with one, insurance the other. It's never been a problem in the last 6 years. I do have a pic copy of my marriage certificate on my phone just in case.

I use both names and it’s never been a problem. I have a joint bank acct in married name and two accounts in maiden name. I work under maiden name. I use married name for doctor, dentist.

Like NEWBINGEPISODES, I use my maiden name for bank, passport etc, and married name for anything connected to dc, school, gp etc. It can be confusing and i sometimes wish you legally had to use one or the other, i just never got round to changing it on all my official stuff!
You should shop around for a new insurance company!

Nonsense. Everything to do with DC is my married name plus Drs. Still have my maiden name on driving license. Very common for people not to change it on their passport until it expires (if they do want to change it) and this is perfectly acceptable.

If they said you can't use your maiden name once married, they're talking rubbish. There's no obligation to use your married name.

I also don't see how there could be an issue with the card being in a different name to the policy - surely you can get anyone you want to pay for your policy once the policy is in the name of the insured.

Honestly, this kind of muddle is why I think countries like the UK should stop allowing "automatic" (not needing to go through deed poll) name changes on marriage. Canada and many other countries now require deed poll changes for any name changes, including ones that are to do with marriage.

If a woman's name is Jane Smith and she want to change it to her husband's name (Jones) on marriage, then fine, no problem, but she should have to go through the deed poll process (and have a grace period of about one year to get all her paperwork and records completely updated), just like anybody else who wants to change their name for any reason.

I don't think people of either sex should be able to just sort of half-heartedly "drift" into using a different name without it being 100% legal and official. It encourages the kind of muddle we see on this thread where people end up using more than one name.

I use both not for the same policy but theyre talking rubbish if you can prove its you

Sounds like bullshit to me. Surely if there was an issue in the event of a claim you'd just be able to present them with a copy of your marriage cert? I agree you should update it now if you do go by your married name on everything else, but you're not setting out to defraud anyone.

In 2015 I decided I wasn't changing my name on marriage and so set about updating my title on everything to Ms. I emailed my professional body (ironically, insurance!) and asked them to change the title on my record. I then got a response saying that was fine, but I would need to provide documentary evidence in support of my change of title You can imagine the response I sent back to that.

As an aside it sounds like you've been with that insurer for a very long time- shop around at renewal, it generally doesn't pay to stick with the same insurer.

they said that means I can’t claim if need to as you can’t ever use your maiden name if married

My husband has been using his maiden name for the last 55 years and it’s never been a problem. He has made one claim on his car insurance and one on his house insurance during that time.

Which insurance company was it that told you this ?

BTW. If you have had the policy for 12 years you should probably check how much you are paying. Insurance companies won't always reward for being a longer ing loyal customer. If you shop around you may find you can get insurance elsewhere much cheaper.

You should check and haggle every year.

can’t claim if need to as you can’t ever use your maiden name if married

This is clearly bollocks!

Name and shame this ridiculous insurer so we can all avoid them and their 1950s ways.

Legally I believe you have one name and one name only. If you chose to sign your husband’s name on the marriage register then legally your name is now his, as that signature has the same effect as a deed poll. You can still use your maiden name of course day to day but it isn’t your legal name. You shouldn’t use it for things like passport applications.

For things like this, however, it should just be a question of showing your marriage cert to prove that Mrs jane Marriedname is the same person as Miss jane Maidenname. Your insurance co is trying it on.

I got married in 2011, I still have both names on things. On forms where it asks for previous/other known as names I put my maiden name. Passport is in my maiden name but due to be renewed this year, a credit card is still in my maiden name. Both names are on dd's birth certificates as 'otherwise known as'. The insurance company will just need to see a copy of your marriage certificate.

You can use both names. I’ve done so for 20 years. This is perfectly legal.

And if I remember rightly you have to sign the register in your maiden name so that comment is a lot of bollocks too.

This is absolute bollocks. Call them back, quote what they have said and ask them where it says this in their policy T&C. If they refuse to apply some common sense then tell them you wish to make a complaint and that it needs to be logged and investigated.

Honestly, it's not true, so please don't worry about it.

i use both namers and have done so for over 15 years, i even have two bank accounts with same bank, personal account in my maiden name opened long after i was married, and joint account in married name, i have never had any issues with insurance schools etc, the only important fact i think you have to be aware of is flying only use the name on your passport. far as i am aware its perfectly legal to have an alias name