Keeping maiden name professionally

Shoshannah · 1 July 2010 at 8:57PM

Hi everyone, I'm not sure if this is best forum to post in but I couldn't really see another that suited more. I'm sure this matter has come up before.

I'm getting married in September this year. I plan to take my fiance's name, but I have been considering keeping my maiden name professionally.

My maiden name is on all my qualifications and I am obviously registered with my profession's governing body under my maiden name, plus I think it would be easier to remain under my maiden name to avoid confusion amongst our client base etc.

As I see it, I can keep my maiden name with the governing body and on a day-to-day basis at work. But I assume I am right in thinking I would need to update the payroll to match my bank account. Fine, but would this payroll discrepancy cause any problems elsewhere? I can check with my employers but they might not know as they only recently took over the business and are new to running a business. We are a small company with only 12 employees and no HR department!

If I were to do this, should I update my income protection and pension with my maiden name or married name?

I wonder if I should forget the whole thing and just go with married name for everything. I don't want to double barrel the name. How do other women pull off the keeping-maiden-name-for-work thing?

Thanks everyone! xxx

Horace · 1 July 2010 at 9:09PM

I know women who have kept their maiden name professionally and they have kept their personal bank accounts too so they don't need to change and then they have a joint account in their married name with their husband.

You may need to ask the income protection folks and the pension if they will allow you to keep your maiden name or if you need to change it to your married one. To be honest, I am not sure because I have never been in that situation.

Impet_Limpet · 1 July 2010 at 9:10PM

I'd wondered this too do many tohers do this

ellay864 · 1 July 2010 at 9:37PM

A colleague of mine kept her maiden name at work and for years none of even knew it wasn't the same name as her husband...it only came to light when a new secretary booked a business trip for her in her work name and then realied it didn't match her passport. Loads of people do it so I cant see it being a problem. And does your pay have to go into an account of the same name? If you specify the details of the account couldn't you have it paid into any?

little_h_2 · 1 July 2010 at 10:27PM

hi.

your pay doesn't have to go into a bank account of the same name, lots of people get their wages paid into their partners account or other accounts.

I am currently changing from my former married name back to my maiden name.

If I get married again I will keep my maiden name for work. Your married name is an "assumed" name, your maiden name is still perfectly valid although if you need to prove your identity people make their own rules up as to what they accept.

I now provide everything, full birth certificate, marriage certificate, decree absolu and proof of address under both names. Nightmare!

good luck!

Jilly5 · 1 July 2010 at 11:28PM

Hi,

I've just got married and am keeping my madien name for work purposes. Payroll said that they pay me by a number into a bank account number so names don't come into it. Nice to hear lol!! Not too sure about pensions etc but i was planning on keeping them in madien name too.

J xx

Shoshannah · 4 July 2010 at 6:53PM

Thanks for the info everyone, I will check out the circumstances surrounding the payroll thingy.

Nice to see some other women doing it - it's just that I worked for 5 years to get my degree and I'm proud to have my maiden name associated with my qualification. No offence to h2b though, I do like his surname too and would like to be Mrs as well.

WhiteHorse · 4 July 2010 at 6:57PM

Going on the experiences of female friends who have divorced, I have to say that I think women are well advised to continue to maintain separate identities. Trying to re-establish your identity is a nightmare. Keep your maiden name, separate car insurance, financial identity etc.

superfran_uk · 4 July 2010 at 8:41PM

WhiteHorse wrote: »

Going on the experiences of female friends who have divorced, I have to say that I think women are well advised to continue to maintain separate identities. Trying to re-establish your identity is a nightmare. Keep your maiden name, separate car insurance, financial identity etc.

In fact... why bother getting married at all? :rotfl:

I'm going to change my name at work because it'll be easier to spell (i currently miss out on a lot of emails!) but others I know have different married/work names and it's fine. If you're at all worried speak with your HR department as they will have dealt with it many times before.

IWantToBeFree_2 · 4 July 2010 at 8:51PM

One of my colleagues had a nightmare when changing to her married name with her pay - she had changed her bank, but not her work, and her bank rejected the payment so I would err on the side of caution with that one...

I changed my name at work, despite having professional qualifications and spending 4 years building up my profile - its done me no damage whatsoever.

Mrs_Ryan · 5 July 2010 at 1:39AM

I changed my name (double-barrelled it with my partner's) and my work records etc are in my new name, but payroll still pay it into a bank account in my old surname alone, and have done for nearly a year with no probs at all.