Affidavit for name change after marriage: In India, people change their names for many reasons. According to tradition, women change their names after marriage, and sometimes, they want to be recognized by their husband’s name or for other reasons. An affidavit must be notarized before someone can change their name. Affidavits are important and are required by the government for the process of changing names. Using this article, women will be able to form an affidavit for name change after marriage.

What Is An affidavit?

An affidavit is a legal document in which people swear that the contents mentioned in the form are hereby true and followed by the applicant of the form. It is a written pledge taken by people which is later submitted to the authorities. In the affidavit, the applicant also explained why the name had to be changed

Purpose Of An Affidavit

The purpose of an affidavit is to legalize a document and submit it to be a document. There are various uses for which an affidavit can be used. The person who issues the affidavit has to have two witnesses to ensure the documents, and the applicant has to take an oath that the things that are mentioned are true and as per their knowledge. Affidavits are very important documents and apart from name changing, they are also used in court to make decisions. Some affidavits are issued to give lawsuits to people.

Documents required for name change after marriage

The below documents should be submitted by the applicants to approve their affidavit for name change after marriage:-

The candidate will need documents for their identity proof like an AADHAR card, PAN card, and other documents that are legally authorized by the government.
The proof of address will be needed that will be maintained from the above-mentioned documents.
The application form will be needed with a passport-size photo of the candidate.
A marriage certificate of the couple will also be required.

Types of affidavit

There are various types of affidavits and are used for different purposes. Below mentioned are the different types that should be used according to their purpose as affidavits are essential and they provide important information and evidence for some details in the court of law:-

Affidavit of Domicile: This type of affidavit is used by lawyers in court where trusts are involved and it serves at your permanent address.
Affidavit of Heirship: This type of affidavit is to announce the ownership of a particular property to another person if the rightful owner has passed away. When the person signs this affidavit they are swearing that the mentioned property is rightfully theirs.
Affidavit of marriage: Marriage affidavits are used as proof for a married couple and this affidavit can also be used when a couple loses their marriage certificate.
Financial affidavit: Financial affidavits are used in a family to find out the financial situation of the family in a conflict. This type of affidavit includes details like the family’s assets, income, and liabilities.

Writing an affidavit for name change after marriage

There are some things that people used to keep in mind while submitting an affidavit:-

The first thing the applicant should be careful of is that the name mentioned by them should be properly spelled which means the old and the new name shouldn’t have any mistakes.
The address that will be mentioned by the applicant should match their documents
The applicant will need a passport-size photo
The affidavit should be signed by two witnesses and it should be printed on stamp paper by paying a small amount.
An applicant should always keep a copy of the affidavit for future reference.

Procedure for name change after marriage

The procedure for name change after marriage is not a difficult task, it is rather an easy method that everyone could do without any help they just have to be careful in putting the information in the form and should follow the below steps.

Make an Affidavit

The candidate should now make an affidavit by mentioning their new name and how they are married which is why they wish to change their name. The affidavit should contain the maiden name of the woman, the new name, the husband’s name, full address, and a copy of their marriage certificate. The candidate should sign the form attach their passport-size photo and pay the fees that are needed.

Notarise the affidavit

The applicant can notarise the affidavit easily by visiting the notary office.

Publish an advertisement

To complete your name change process after marriage the candidate has to make two articles in two different languages one in their regional language and one in English Language stating that they have changed their name from ___ (old name) to ___ (new name) because of marriage and publish both the articles in the respective newspapers. This is an easy method as newspapers have a separate column for these types of announcements

Gazette Publication

The last thing the holder of the affidavit has to do is to publish an article in the Gazette Official of India. The candidate has to visit the Controller of the Gazette publication and they will tell the person all about the publication. In this, all the documents that are mentioned above like newspaper articles and the affidavit have to be submitted with all the other documents.

Format of affidavit for name change after marriage

Below is an example of the affidavit that should be filled by the applicant

I ___ daughter of ____, wife of ____ age___ residing at ____ seriously affirm that:

My maiden name is ____
I got married to ___ (husband’s name) on ____ (date of marriage) at ____ (place of marriage).
After marriage, I would like to change my name to ____ (fully changed name) and all my documents have my new name.
( If the candidate doesn’t have the marriage certificate then they should mention it)
I assure you that my new name and my maiden name are of the same person.

I am declaring all the information to the authorities about my change of name due to marriage.

I confirm that all the information that is mentioned in the affidavit is in my knowledge and true.

Signature of the applicant

Passport-size photo with husband

Identified by ___ (full name)

Advocate: Notary Commissioner

Forming an affidavit is very serious work and I hope that from the above article, one can understand the importance of affidavit and how they should issue their affidavit for name change after marriage.

Read Also:- Passport Name Change After Marriage

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When to use an affidavit for a name change after marriage?

Affidavit for name change after marriage is for women who change their name marriage. This type of affidavit is not obtained by every individual, they are given to only married women. After marriage, some females change their first as well as their surname so they have to fill out this affidavit print it on the stamp, and follow all the above steps that are mentioned in the article.

How to make the affidavit for name change after marriage enforceable and legally valid?

Once the applicant has filled out their affidavit and attached their passport-size photo, make a stamp of the affidavit, and get it notarized by the notary then the affidavit has become valid and legally enforceable by the person.

What are the fees for changing name after marriage?

First, the applicant has to make the affidavit and print on the stamp which will cost you Rs. 10. Next the applicant has to make the newspaper article which will cost you Rs. 750 to Rs. 1000 which will be according to the newspaper. At last, the applicant has to publish their name change news to the Gazette of India, which will cost them Rs. 750 to Rs. 900. So the total cost that the applicant has to bear is around Rs. 1500- Rs. 2000.

Is it necessary to update the name on the AADHAR card after marriage?

Yes, if a woman is changing their surname or entire name, then they have to make changes in their AADHAR card and all the other legal documents so that there won’t be any mistake in their legalities.

Is it necessary for women to change their names after marriage?

No, it is not compulsory to change a name after marriage as it is the choice of women if they want to change their name; they are not forced to do it. And today, many women hyphen their name with their husband’s name.

How much time it will take to make changes in the name after marriage?

It will take around 3-4 months to make changes in the name, and if there are complications then it might take more time.

Is there a time limit for women to change their names after marriage in India?

As we have established a, women don’t need to make changes in their surname, so there is no time limit, and it is up to the wife to make changes in their name.