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From: mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON)
Newsgroups: net.legal,net.women
Subject: Re: Name Changes
Message-ID: <400@mhuxr.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 15:50:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxr.400
Posted: Mon Aug 19 15:50:22 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 22:13:05 EDT
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Xref: watmath net.legal:2124 net.women:6984

> I am getting married soon.  From what I have read, I understand
> I can legally choose to keep my name or change it, as long as I
> do so consistently.  Ideally I would like to change my name for
> personal use (the idea of everyone in my new family having the
> same name appeals to me), but keep my name (&reputation) at work.
> At a later time when I changed jobs and my old name didn't mean
> anything to anyone I would use my new name everywhere.
> 
> In some professions (e.g., acting) people have "professional" and
> private names.  Is there any way I could do that?  My main concern
> is my paycheck (could I cash it if it were in my maiden name)
> and my IRS records.

So long as there is one Social Security Number referring to you, there is
no legal problem with having two names, or twenty five, with two
exceptions: your tax returns should all be in the same name. If you and your
husband file together, you will unfortunately be known to local and national
tax authorities as "Doe, John F and Jane Q.", where Q is either your middle
initial or the initial of your maiden name.

The second exception is the voter registration rolls. Voting authorities
(at least those of Hudson COunty, NJ) are incapable of dealing with
hyphenated names, so you may have to pick one or the other.

Hyphenation may well be the best option, so banks and the like won't hassle
you if checks are in one name and the account in another. Good luck.

Marcel Simon