DOCUMENTS & FORMS
Marriage
Congratulations! The coming weeks and months will be a busy, exciting time for you both. This section will help you plan your wedding and focus on the personal, financial and legal issues to consider as you walk down the aisle into married life.
Event Checklist
- Enroll Spouse in Benefit Plans
Contact your Human Resources Department for information about adding a new dependent to your other benefit plans.
Also, take the time to review your financial and insurance plans to make any changes to your coverage, contributions or beneficiary designations.
- Review Tax Withholding
The Internal Revenue Service's W-4 Form has been set in a web-ready, electronic format. If you wish to change your withholding, download it and print it out at your leisure.
- Review Life Insurance Coverage
When adopting a child, make sure to review and update your life insurance coverage. You should find insurance calculators helpful in thinking about how much life insurance you should purchase. It is also advisable for you to consult with your financial advisor.
- Apply for a Social Security Card
If you legally change your name because you get married, you will need to apply for a corrected Social Security card with your changed name. Failure to do so could delay a tax refund coming to you or prevent some of your pay from being credited properly to your Social Security record, which could cause your future Social Security benefits to be less than they should be.
You will need to provide a recently issued document, such as your marriage license / certificate, as proof of your legal name change. If the document you provide does not give the Social Security Administration enough information to identify you in its records, you will be asked for an identity document showing your old name and another in your new name providing evidence of your identity.
You will need to fill out an Application for a Social Security Card (SS-5) form and submit it to the Social Security Administration. You can download a copy of the SS-5 form and instructions in an electronic format from here and print it out at your leisure. The instructions include details on acceptable evidence of your identity.
Also, you can visit the Social Security web site or call 1-800-772-1213 at any hour of the day toll-free. If you wish to speak to a service representative, call between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time on business days. If you are hearing-impaired, call 1-800-325-0778 instead. Note: Social Security telephone lines are busiest early in the week and early in the month, so if possible, avoid those times.
Social Security treats all information as confidential.
Reminder: If you are working, also tell your employer about your name change.
