So I just got married in New Mexico on Sunday, March 21st 2010, and filed the paperwork the next day. It was after I filed the paperwork that the county clerk people finally decided they could answer the questions I had been trying to ask all along. That yes, if I had signed the marriage certificate with my desired new last name, that it would be official. Needless to say, I was and still am, very upset by this.
My husband and I want to change our last names to something completely different, but now, the only way to do so is to go through the court system and spend over 200 dollars per person and an average of 30-90 days. Not to mention the 2 weeks of paper publications.
So my question is simple. Is there a way for just one of us to go through the name change process and have the other be able to change their name based on the others new last name? Would taking the judge’s name change order to the county clerk’s marriage office work? (They refuse to answer me on whether or not I could bring an order in and have them change the name on the marriage license.) Could we just go together to the social security office with the judge’s order and have the name changed there for both of us? Or do we really have to get the name changed at court for the two of us?
I’m fairly certain there is no mention of this type of thing anywhere online as I have been looking for two days now. Please respond and let me know. I need to get the name changed soon before heading to boot camp next month.