Same Sex Marriage

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

What #LoveWins Means for Married Name Change

Curious what #LoveWins means for married name change? The Supreme Court recently ruled to legalize same sex marriage in all 50 states. The #LoveWins ruling was met with much celebration and will result in a multitude of same sex weddings this summer and fall. First comes love, then comes marriage….followed by name change!

Instead of needing to petition the court system for a legal name change order; newlyweds, regardless of their sexual orientation, can now use the married name change process to change their name(s) after marriage. They can use their county issued certified marriage certificate to begin filing for their new name on their social security cards, U.S. passports, IRS 8822, state driver’s license, voter registration and across all of their personal and professional accounts.

To streamline the 13 hour name change process into 30 minutes and get the inside filing scoop for your state, use the MissNowMrs online name change service. There’s no need to waste 13 hours of newlywed bliss waiting in long office lines!

Help Me Change My Name

It make take some time for all state offices to be compliant with the new ruling, case in point South Dakota, but change is happening for the institute of marriage and married name change. It is important to note that while all states will now accept same sex marriage certificates, there are still limitations on the name-change options available to newlyweds based on their state of residence.

Some states will not allow maiden to middle name change and all states except California do not allow blended last names via the married name change process. If you have any questions about what married name change is right for you/available to you, play the MarriedNameGame and let its patent-pending algorithm give you your ideal option or email our support team for help!

Same Sex Marriage Equality in 2014 and the New Year

Looking back on 2014, there have been great strides made in same sex marriage equality. In the last month South Carolina, Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona have legally recognized same sex marriages, bringing the total number of states that recognize same sex couples’ right to marry to 35.

Same sex couples marrying in these 35 states can apply for a marriage license at their county clerk’s offices, have an officiated legal wedding ceremony and will receive a certified marriage certificate. With a certified marriage certificate, the newlywed couple can file for a name change via the married name change process. This saves them the headache of navigating the legal name change process and petitioning the U.S. court system for the right to change their last names.

A big trend in same sex name-change in 2014 was the blending of two last names into a new married last name. For example, Miss Greenland marries Miss Burnbury and they opt to become Mrs. and Mrs. Greenbury. **Please note that only California residents have the option to blend their last names using the married name change process. Regardless of sexual orientation, newlywed couples who do not live in California will need to petition the courts to blend their last names.

2015 is around the corner and has the potential to bring marriage equality and the ability to use the married name change process to same sex couples residing in the remaining 15 states. You can check the legal marriage status of any state at any time at GayWeddings.com. Information on the marriage license application process for same sex couples can be found via MarriageLicenseNow.com.

Same Sex Married Name Change: What Rules Apply Where

The Supreme Court’s decision to not hear state appeals on same sex marriages will result in the legalization of that practice in eleven more states across the U.S. This ruling caused five states to immediately legalize same sex marriage; they include: Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wyoming are overseen by appellate courts and must abide by their appeals court rulings. So they will also have to lift their bans on same sex marriage as well. This means that same sex couples in 30 states can marry in their home state and receive all of the legal benefits of marriage, including married name change.

Prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage, gay spouses were not issued a marriage license or marriage certificate. They were not able to use the married name change process to change their names. They instead had to petition the court system for a legal name change order and follow the legal name change process, which is both lengthy and expensive. Couples had to file numerous forms, be fingerprinted and run ads announcing the intended name change in local newspapers. This would only get them the name change order that is the legal document allowing them to file for their name change with government agencies.

Now, if a gay couple decides to marry in one of the 30 states that recognize their right to wed they will be issued a certified marriage certificate. That certificate can be used to file for a name change with the Social Security Administration, State Department (for a U.S. passport), the IRS, the United States Postal Service, as well as with state level offices such as the Motor Vehicle Administration and Voter Registration offices. While couples residing in states that have newly legalized same sex marriage may unfortunately meet resistance from office clerks. They can be confident that they have the legal right to change their names and enjoy newlywed life together.