How to Change Your Name After Divorce in the ACT

Changing your name after divorce in the Australian Capital Territory is an administrative process, not a legal one. You do not need a lawyer or a court order — your Divorce Order itself is sufficient proof of the change in circumstances.

The process differs depending on whether you are reverting to your birth name (maiden name) or changing to an entirely new name.

Reverting to Your Maiden Name

If you took your spouse's surname at marriage and want to revert to your birth name, you do not need a formal name change application. Your Divorce Order and your birth certificate together establish your identity and your right to use your pre-marriage name.

Take both documents to each institution and request the update:

Government agencies first:

• Australian Passport Office: Apply for a new passport in your birth name using your Divorce Order as supporting evidence. The standard passport fee applies.
• ACT Access Canberra (driver's licence): Visit an Access Canberra shopfront with your Divorce Order and birth certificate. The licence reissue fee applies.
• Services Australia (Centrelink, Medicare): Update your records online through myGov or in person at a Canberra service centre.
• Australian Taxation Office: Update via myGov or by calling the ATO directly.
• Electoral roll: Update your details through the Australian Electoral Commission website.

Financial institutions:

• Banks and credit unions — visit a branch with your Divorce Order and photo ID
• Superannuation funds — complete a change of details form with a certified copy of the Divorce Order
• Insurance providers — contact directly with your updated identification

Other notifications:

• Employer and payroll
• Children's schools
• Utility providers
• Vehicle registration (via Access Canberra)
• Land titles (if you own property)

Changing to a New Name

If you want to adopt an entirely new name — not your birth name — you need to apply for a formal change of name through the ACT Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (part of Access Canberra). The application requires:

• A completed Change of Name application form
• Your birth certificate or citizenship certificate
• Your Divorce Order
• Current photo identification
• The applicable fee (check the current rate with Access Canberra)

Once the registry processes the application and issues a Change of Name Certificate, use that certificate (along with the other documents) to update your records with all institutions.

Timing

You cannot change your name until your Divorce Order takes legal effect — that is, one month and one day after the hearing date. The digital Divorce Order available from the Commonwealth Courts Portal is the document you need; physical "divorce decrees" have not been issued in Australia since February 2010.

Start with government-issued identification (passport, driver's licence) and work outward. Most institutions will accept the Divorce Order as proof without additional documentation, though some may request a certified copy.

Children's Names

Changing a child's surname after divorce is a separate and more complex process. Both parents generally need to consent, and if there is disagreement, a court order may be required. This falls under parenting orders, not the divorce process itself.

The ACT Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a post-divorce action tracker that lists every institution you need to notify, so you can work through the name change systematically without missing any accounts.

See more Australian Capital Territory guides →