Getting married but not changing name

[Havanawinter]

Hi all. DP and I are getting married soon. We have 2 DCs already. I don’t plan to change my surname which is causing me confusion over whether I still need to get my passport/driving licence changed over. If I will have the same surname as before, is this necessary? Also do I need to get the kids’ birth certificates re-issued? Thanks in advance!

You don't need to change your passport or driving licence - the only reason for doing so is to record the change of name, and you are not. They don't have marital status on them!

If you're keeping your name you don't need to get anything changed. The change of documentation is only necessary to reflect a change.

Why would BC need to be changed if mother's name hasn't changed?

No to any of this. You're retaining your birth name. Marriage has no legal impact on a surname.

You do need to re-register your children even if you haven’t changed your name

www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-re-register-a-childs-birth-following-marriage-of-natural-parents

Because it’s the law

Yes you do need to re-register the birth certificates.
Anything else - you don't have to do anything.

This is so weird. If the father is on the birth certificate, why does it need to be re-registered?

Putting that aside, OP, anything else in your name just stays in your name so there's no big deal at all when you get married.

Sorry - no help.
Just to say "good for you".

The fine is something like £2 though....

@MsMarch it's some weird old rule about making a child "legitimate" but that only really has a massive effect if there's likely to be a large inheritance or title passed down to the child in the future.
The Registar actually said to me "it's very old fashioned".

Your passport and driver's license do not capture your marital status. You simply need to change it if you've changed name. So no need to do anything.

Because no-one has bothered to find the parliamentary time to tidy up the law

PP is correct, the fine is £2

The differences between legitimate (born to married parents) legitimated (born to parents who subsequently marry) and illegitimate (born to parents who are not married and never marry each other) is now obsolete in terms of inheritance, with the only exceptions being certain royal and aristocratic titles and properties.

Everyone outside those categories can safely ignore it

I haven’t changed my DC birth certificates (& neither has mine been changed as my parents also married after my birth - I’m 41 now!). The only issue would be if my parents will eg said ‘to be left to the legitimate children’ as I am not legally then entitled to inherit. Obviously my parents won’t do that, and all of their children are illegitimate anyway!

@meditrina yes that's true.
It's only really relevant if there is a title or similar to pass down.
If you don't do it I doubt anything will happen.
I wonder if anyone has actually ever been fined the 2 quid.

Yep this. I didn't change my name after I got married so didn't have to change any docs.

Bizarre!

Thanks, that's what I was asking!

@MsMarch yes it's bizarre.
As someone upthread said parliament has just never got around to changing it.

Fab thanks all! I wasn’t sure if the change to “Mrs” (which is also hate, but hey ho) affected anything but great to know I can carry on as before. Will re-register the kids - although for the sake of £2 seems daft really!

You don’t have to call yourself Mrs if you don’t want to.

You also don't have to change your title if you don't want to. "Mrs" has no legal standing. "Ms" is all purpose and you can stay "Miss" if you prefer.

You don’t have to use Mrs, you do know that right?