Q: After you get married, what steps does the husband have to take to change his last name to wife’s last name in NJ ?

A: It's not very complicated to have your name legally changed. You can do it yourself as a self-represented litigant without a having to hire a lawyer. Just be careful and follow the instructions at: https://www.njcourts.gov/forms/10551_namechg_adult.pdf?c=ojW

A: You can file a new change application through the court system by going to the court system website and formally filing an application for a name change (requires the filing of a complaint, publication, notice requirement, etc ) or you can go through the social security administration system for a name change as a result of marriage (most commonly used procedure by those who marry and want to change their name as a result of the marriage).

If you elect the latter option, the first thing you need to do is get a certified copy of your marriage certificate (not the same thing as your marriage license). A marriage certificate functions as a record-keeping document, proving that you have completed and registered your marriage.

Once you have your certified copy of your marriage license, go to the Social Security Administration (SSA) website to obtain a new social security card in your new name.

The SSA website has a guide to a name change to assist in the process as well for those newly married. You can also download form SS-5 which is a form used for the issuance of a social security card.

Once you have a new social security card with your new name on it, you can use that document to change all of your other government documents to reflect your new name.