Panama City, FL asked in Family Law for Florida

Q: Is there any penalties/deadlines for getting married but not changing my wifes last name until a later date?

The reason for delaying changing her last name is that we live separately and won't be living together for at least 18 months.

We would be getting the marriage officiated in california.

She lives in California and I live in Florida.

Thank you in advance!

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2 Lawyer Answers

A: There are no penalties or deadlines. If and when a person is ready to change their name they can present the marriage license together with any other required documentation.

A: Florida law does not impose a deadline or time limit for when she should change her last name after your marriage. If she becomes a resident of Florida and completes the name change, she has 30 days to update her Florida Driver's License with her new name.

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