Using former married and maiden names for different purposes

[happywhensinging]

I'm getting remarried next year (hooray!) and am trying to work out what to do about the surname situation.

I didn't revert to my maiden name after my divorce 8 years ago, because my children were still under 18. In addition I have been self employed for 25 years, and have always been known professionally by my married name (my business name is my married name + Ltd).

Ideally, I'd like to mark the occasion of this new marriage by reverting to my maiden name, but just for personal purposes. It seems sensible to try and keep my former married name for professional purposes.

My children are now young adults and have no issues with having a different surname from me. Neither my fiancé nor I want me to take his surname when we are married.

I know it would be pretty straightforward for me to revert to my maiden name, but am wondering if there's anything I'm missing about keeping a former married name. All of the advice on line is about keeping your maiden name for professional purposes (e.g. if you qualify as a doctor) and using your married name for personal purposes. Wondering if keeping a former married name in this way will create any difficulties in and of itself?

Can’t see why, it’s your legal name and lots of people use different names personally and professionally.

I can't think of a specific issue, but I think it's getting harder with bank accounts and money laundering laws to have different surnames in use. I suggest if possible you put one utility bill in one name and one in another so you always have a bill with address on it in the relevant name to use as proof alongside the birth/ marriage certificates.

I use my maiden name at work and my married name for everything else. The only issue I have faced is not being able to countersign passports for people as my professional status is in a different name to my passport.

I got bored very quickly with the admin of changing my name after I got married. Changed it with work, HMRC and passport, then gave up. So all my finances are in my maiden name, tax and officialdom in married name, everything else a mish mash. It's never caused me a problem. Gov.co.uk have a record of all your "known by" names. And when I travel abroad I always carry a copy of my marriage certificate in case I need to exchange money when my passport and bank cards are in different names. But I've never had to use it.

Modifying your name on all accounts and records after getting married is usually quite straightforward, if tedious and slow, especially as many organisations don't ask for any 'evidence'. Those that do, ask for sight of your marriage certificate. Which is where you're going to find it problematic. It may make life simpler if you do a deed poll so that you have an 'official' document to show.

You could even include your business name with your maiden name on the DP, and only ever use your maiden name in future.

Happywhensinging Businessname becomes Happywhensinging Businessname Personalname on the deed poll. Continues to use Happywhensinging Businessname for business purposes, but uses Happywhensinging Personalname for all other purposes, and gradually modifies all non-business accounts and records to Happywhensinging Personalname.

And get at least two copies of the deed poll so that you don't have to modify accounts one by one because you're waiting for the your document to be returned.

My mum did similarish when she remarried - kept her original married name for professional purposes and new married name for personal. She's never had any issues.

When I remarried I kept my old surname and created a double barrelled name with my new surname (for example was Smith but became Smith -Jones solely at work). All other legal docs such as DL, passport solely in married name.
All well and good for 20 years until I wanted to check my state pension and couldn’t cos the gov.com (NI and tax) records had me in my work name and the ID I had was solely in my married name so didn’t match. Luckily I’m young enough to have time to change everything at work into my single married name and start getting NI/tax payments made in that name. If I’d left it till the last minute it may have caused issues claiming my state pension.