Frequently asked questions

Change Your Name takes the hassle out of updating your name after marriage, divorce or a legal name change. Instead of hunting down forms and re-entering the same details for every bank, government agency and company, you enter your details once and we prepare everything you need to notify hundreds of organisations across Australia.

It's for anyone aged 18 or over who has married, divorced, or wishes to make a legal name change.

To get started you'll need your current and new name and some basic personal details. For most organisations you'll also need a certified copy of your proof of name change — usually your marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or legal change of name certificate — and identification such as a passport or driver's licence.

Your official marriage certificate (from Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state you married) is the document used to change your name with companies. The same certificate is also what you use to change your passport, so you don't need to update your passport first — it can all be done together.

You can change your name at any time — there's no deadline. One thing worth knowing about passports: if you update your Australian passport within 12 months of your marriage or divorce it's normally free, but after 12 months a fee usually applies. Most other organisations don't charge to update your name, though that's ultimately up to each one's own policy.

If an organisation or department you need isn't already listed, you can add it during your order and we'll look it up and include it where a process is available. Your directory of organisations grows over time, so the more people who ask, the more complete it becomes.

Yes. Being born in another country doesn't change our service. As long as you have a passport, driver's licence or proof of identity card, that's used as your ID. If you married in Australia, your Australian marriage certificate is the document you use to change your name. If you were married overseas, some organisations may require an official change of name through Births, Deaths and Marriages — check with the organisation about what they accept.

No. There's a minimum amount of information we need to get started, but beyond that, how much personal detail you share is up to you. If you choose to leave something out — for example your date of birth or an account or membership number — you can simply add it to your prepared documents yourself before submitting them.

We've taken great care to build a platform that protects your privacy and payment details. The site is secured by SSL, and all credit card payments are processed securely through the eWAY payment gateway — your card details are never stored by us.

We delete your personal order data after three months, retaining only the minimal customer record we're required to keep for taxation purposes. You can read the full detail in our Privacy Policy.

All three packages start the same way — you enter your details once. The difference is how far we carry it for you:

• Standard ($39.95) — we prepare your letters and email them to you to print, sign and send.
• Premium ($149.95) — we print and post hard copies to you, with tailored instructions for each organisation. You sign and send.
• Deluxe ($249.95) — we prepare everything, you sign and return it to us, and we submit on your behalf.

You can save as you go and come back when you have time, and upgrade to a different package whenever you like.

Some name changes can't be made with just a marriage or divorce certificate — they require a legal name change at the birth-certificate level. That's done through the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state or territory where the relevant event took place. Once you have your legal change of name certificate, you can use it to change your name with the organisations on this website.

If you don't have your original marriage, divorce or legal change of name certificate, you can apply for a new copy from the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state where the event took place. If it took place overseas, you'll need to contact the relevant department in that country. Divorce papers can be obtained from the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

Yes. Refunds can be requested within 30 calendar days of purchase. We just ask for the email address you used when ordering so we can locate your order, and a brief reason so we can keep improving. Refunds are returned to the same account used for payment. Full details are in our Terms & Conditions.