Steps You Should Take When You First Get Married

Getting married can be an exciting and passionate time as you look forward to a future with your spouse- and all of the joys and challenges that come with this. However, rather than get sucked into the honeymoon period and ignore the realities that are creeping up behind you, here are a number of steps that you should take to protect your new family and enjoy a positive life together almost as soon as you tie the knot.

·  Commit to Estate Planning

You might know where you want your money and assets to go when you die, but do your family? Without comprehensive estate planning on your marriage, you might find that your spouse is unable to access your assets or that they are left without the financial support that they need when you pass away. Rather than trusting that your death is far away, you should understand and realize that tragedy can strike at any time, and proper estate planning is the best way to ensure that your assets go to the most important people in your life. This is even more important if you have children from a previous marriage or if you have friends or other family members in your life who you want to pass a legacy on to. To get started, you should consider looking for financial advisory companies that can help you to understand the basics of estate planning right now.

·  Change Your Name

Many people, especially women, take their partner’s name when they get married. That said, the number of people who choose to take their partner’s name is decreasing due to a greater need for independence. If you do take your partner’s name, though, and tie yourselves together through a shared name, it is vital that you change this name on all official documentation as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might find that you are blocked from accessing certain services. This includes changing your name at your bank, as well as at the revenue office, and your passport. This will limit confusion and stop you from forgetting to do this at a later date, when life gets busy again.

·  Look After Your Marriage Certificate

Your marriage certificate is one of the most important documents that you have to your name after your marriage as this confirms and provides proof that your marriage ever happened, and you may need it at certain points throughout your life. After you have registered your marriage, which is another vital step you should make sure is taken, you will receive this through the post. Rather than stuffing it into a drawer somewhere, you should ensure that it is kept in a safe place away from damp and mold and that you always know where to find it. If you do lose this, you must see that you request another urgently – you never know when you might need this document, and you do not want to wait to find out what you need it for until you do not have it.