Changing your name legally in Australia is simpler than most people expect — but what's required depends on why you're changing it. Here's how it works, and how we make the notifying part painless.
Marriage: usually no formal application needed
If you married in Australia and want to take your spouse's surname, you generally don't need to lodge a formal change of name application. Your official marriage certificate — the one issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, not the decorative certificate from your wedding day — is the proof most organisations accept.
Divorce: reverting to a former name
After a divorce you can return to your previous or maiden name. Many organisations will accept your marriage certificate, divorce documents, or other proof to revert your name. Divorce documents are issued by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
A formal legal name change
You'll need a formal change of name through your state or territory's Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages if you want to change your first name, change to a name that isn't simply your spouse's surname, or change your name for any reason other than marriage or divorce. You'll receive a Change of Name Certificate, which you then use to update your name everywhere else.
A few things worth knowing about the formal process: in most states you can change your name only once in a 12-month period and three times in a lifetime, you generally must have been born in (or have lived in) the state where you apply, and you'll be asked for a genuine reason for the change.
Were you married overseas? Foreign marriage certificates often aren't accepted by Australian government agencies for name-change purposes. In that case you may need a formal legal name change at the birth-certificate level before updating your records. Once you have your Change of Name Certificate, you can use it with all the organisations on this website.
Then comes the tedious part — that's where we help
Once you have your certificate, the legal change is done. But your name still has to be updated with every bank, government agency, insurer, super fund and utility you deal with — one at a time. That's the part that eats hours. We capture your details once and prepare everything you need for each organisation, so the notifying takes minutes instead of weeks.
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