Many people see marriage as a romantic time in a person’s life. This is when two people join together in love, hoping to build a life together. However, it’s important to remember that marriage is also the legal joining of two people. That’s why there are somethings you need to do after you get married to ensure that you’re starting off on the right track.
Create a New Will
If you have a will, then you may need to update it to include your new spouse and any step-children you may have through this marriage.
In the event of your death, you don’t want your spouse to struggle with legal matters concerning your estate because of the lack of a will. You also want to consider making a new will if you have children from another relationship.
Change Your Beneficiaries
If you have life insurance, you may want to change the beneficiary on some of your policies. You may want to add your spouse and any step-children you may have or you may need to remove your former spouse from the policy.
It would be heartbreaking for your new spouse to discover your life insurance money does to your ex-spouse upon your death. To protect your new family, make sure to change the policy as soon as possible.
Change Your Identification
If your name has changed due to your marriage, you must update all of your identification cards. The driver’s license bureau in your state will need a copy of your marriage certificate to make this change.
You will also need to go to the Social Security Administration with your marriage certificate and ID to request a new card. Your license will be needed for stolen social security card replacement and also all updated information of your personal and financial accounts.
Update Your Accounts
Your new name needs to match your identification on your credit cards, bank accounts and many of your other financial accounts. Most will only need to see the change on your license in order to make the change.
Some might ask to see a copy of your marriage license or your social security card before making the change. While most businesses will change your account for free, some require a nominal fee.
Legal Matters That Need Your Attention
When you have a blended family with children from other marriage, the idea of adoption may come up. If the other parent is deceased or if the other parent has no parental rights, then a child may be able to be adopted by the new parent.
If this is the case this may have been something you discussed during your engagement. However, when you get married it’s time to decide if you’re going to take action or wait. This is a hard decision to make, so don’t rush it.
These are only a few things you may need to do after you get married. Since each marriage is different you need to carefully consider what is important to your life and get started, after your honeymoon, of course.
