Q: Can I have two last names without a hyphen so I can keep my maiden name at work and married last name in my social life?
When signing documents with two last names do I need to sign both? Do I have to update Credit cards?
A:
Yes, you can use two last names without a hyphen. This is a common practice for married women. For example, if your maiden name were Katy Marie Norton and you married me, it would be customary for you to go by Katy Norton Frick after our marriage. But it is not legally required that you do so. It is simply an Anglo-American tradition.
When signing documents, you generally can use any name or mark you like. A legal signature can even be a mark like an "X." This is because, historically, not everyone could write. On some legal documents which require proof of identification, if you sign your name, it should match the name on the piece of identification. For example, if your name is "Rebecca" on a birth certificate that you use to obtain a passport, you should sign the passport "Rebecca" even if you are commonly called and sign using "Becky."
Whether you need to update your credit cards depends on your account agreement with the issuer. But usually, they don't care as long as you pay on time. And it will not get you out of paying then if you change your name. You are still the same person who applied for the credit card and made the charges.
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