Legal Question in Family Law in New York
Changing Hyphenated Last Name
I want to drop my maiden name on my hyphenated last name. I do not know how to do it. My last name is my maiden and married. I want to drop the maiden and just use the married. Do I have to go to court to do this? I live in NY State. I really don't want to have to pay a lot of money to do this, but I want to drop the hyphenated part.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Changing Hyphenated Last Name
You do not need to go to court. Just simply start using your married name, there may be some instances where you will have to prove that you are the same person you were when you had your maiden (such as opening a bank account, or a real estate purchase). Make sure to keep a photo ID that includes your maiden name, and your marriage certificate.
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