Changing Name After Marriage
Before settling into the new life there are some legal aspects that should be taken care of. This includes obtaining marriage certificate, changing the name if needed, etc.
For changing the name you have to notify authorities of your new marital status by submitting a photocopy of your husband's passport and your marriage certificate.
Your marital status will be noted with your husband's name inserted into the spouse's column. Legally, there are two ways to change your name and notify relevant authorities of the same. Either submit a joint notarised affidavit or a copy of the official government gazette in which your new name is duly mentioned.
A joint notarised affidavit is a declaration made by you and your husband on stamp paper, signed by a magistrate or a notary. The declaration states that your maiden name was say, for example, Shalini Sinha and you were married to Manjit Singh on 17 August, 2007. Then by virtue of your marriage, your new name is Shalini Singh and you shall be known by this name hereafter. The affidavit also carries a joint photograph of your husband and yours.
A notarised affidavit, along with your marriage certificate, is enough to change your name at the bank, on your passport, on the Permanent Account Number (PAN) for income tax (IT) deductions and even on your driving license.
However, submitting a notarised affidavit can be a tedious and expensive affair every time your new name has to be recorded. More so, if the concerned departments / officials ask for the original affidavit each time!
Make your life simpler by registering your new name with your state government gazette. Collect a copy of the name change form - available free of cost - and fill in the details correctly. Attach a copy of your marriage certificate and pay a nominal fee.
The concerned officer will give you a receipt and will send you copies of the gazette carrying your name change details and a reference number to your address mentioned in the form. This procedure takes from a few days to a month. You just need to add the gazette copy with all your name change applications to effect the change.
