is it automatic?

[year2011]

just want to know if my name automatically changes when i got married.am having a problem as i kept my maiden name and all my id is in that name but my GP has my married name which is creating problems for me.they want me to get a legal document if i want to change to my maiden name but i never changed my name legally.im gtn divorce what do i do?

Show them a passport? a driving licence, bank statement and tell them what you have said here.

marriage certificate?

thanks ive shown them all the documents i have but they still want a legal document which i dnt understand

Your marriage certificate is a legal document isn't it?

feedingatoddler i have shown them the marriage certificate,passport,driving licenced i dnt know what else to do.they said to me i have to go to court if i want to change my name but i never change my name.

Why would they ever have your married name if you didn't change it?
I had this once, some nutcase at egg telling me I had to send documents in. Er, no, I decide if I want my name to change thank you.

could you just leave it until you have divorced and then take in whatever legal paper says you are divorced? Don't believe that you have to go to court to change your name on divorcing!!

I assume you registered at the GPs with DH and kids so they assumed you all had the same surname?

Liliesandveuve i changed doctors at one point and when i did the registration we did it as a family so they used the married name which i didnt think will cause a problem like until now.

No, your name doesn't automatically change when you get married. You can choose to be known by either name, you don't have to pick one or the other. If you have documents that prove what your maiden name is, that should be enough for them to register you in that name.

thanks again i will contact my solicitor to confirm it and take it frm there.

solicitor confirms they shd be able to change it with all the information i have provided so she will contact them and let me knw the results.

I've had this problem. I didn't change my name upon marriage, but when I divorced (on the cheap, internet documents) I had to get the documents signed at a solicitor's and they insisted that I signed a 'change of name' document. Made me laugh really as I had to swear that I wouldn't ever use a name I'd never used, and encourage others to call me by the name they'd always called me.

I had to pay £30 to the solicitor for that and still don't know whether he had the right to make me do that, or whether I was just putting money towards his holidays.

Weird. The only time I had to show any document (my divorce decree) was to the bank to change my name back to my maiden name. And that was only because I had opened the account originally in my married name. Everyone else (driving licence, doc, school, DWP) changed it on my say-so. I was under the impression you could be known by any name you like.

Yes, I thought that, too, somethingwillturnup. I remember saying to the Registrar when I got married, that I didn't want to sign anything that would mean my name had changed and she told me nobody ever did, that it was just custom and practice that women changed their names.

THANKS somethingwillturnup ,atswimtwolengths i dnt know why they want me to change my name to the same name in my passport,driving licenced and all other documents.weird.

its convention not law that your name changes on marriage - I kept mine, never used hisname, corrected anyone who called me Mrs Hisname (especially on legal stuff) and wouldn't let the solicitor even put aka Mrs Hisname on documents. I think you may have a jobsworth at the Drs who doesn't know the law :-(

There is no legal requirement to change your name on marriage, you can call yourself what you want. Who exactly is it that is saying you need 'legal documents'?

I would take your marriage certificate that has both of your 'names', and TELL them you want your records changed to reflect your maiden name. If they query it TELL them this is a legal document

Yes, changing your name is a choice. Your legal name is the one on your birth cert.( You can get married many times, afterall, but only be born once!)

thanks loiner45 ,oldraver ,Aislingorla,ive provided everything they wanted but she still insists of a legal document i was just helpless so got upset and left,i know they are wrong but there wasnothing i could do,hopefully my solicitorwill sort it out soon.

You should not have to resort to a solicitor, is this a receptionist being awkward ? Ask to speak to the practice manager and present you 'legal document' . I reverted to my maiden name and had no problem with my doctors. I did however have a few problems with some credit card people and insurance people. They wanted to know why I was changing my name and demanded by decree whatever as they assumed I was getting divorced. I just stated thya didnt need to know why I was changing my name just that I was, as is my right and here is the evidence

To be honest I think some people knobs behind desks fall into the trap that changing of name for a married woman is more complicated and legal binding than it is. Your marriage certificate is a wonderful legal document as it contains all the necessary info.... your birth/adopted name and your potential if you so wish name

thanks oldraver,the receptionist understood me it was the person in charge of registrations,she was so adamant that she wasnt even prepared to listen to me,one of those who thinks they know everything but they dnt.

How small minded and insensitive of them!

so insensitive and heartless