To complete your name change, you'll need to tell others about it. Contact the people and institutions you deal with and ask what type of documentation they require to make your name change official in their records. Different institutions will have different rules and forms; a few will only require your phone call or an email. But in our increasingly security-conscious world, most will require special forms, a copy of a court order listing your new name, and, in a few instances, even a personal meeting.

It's generally recommended that you first acquire a driver's license, then a Social Security card in your new name. Once you have those pieces of identification, it's usually fairly simple to acquire others or have records changed to reflect your new name.

Here are the people and institutions to notify of your name change:

• Friends and family
• Employers
• Schools
• Post office
• Department of Motor Vehicles
• Social Security Administration
• Department of Records or Vital Statistics (issuers of birth certificates)
• Banks and other financial institutions
• Creditors and debtors
• Telephone and utility companies
• State taxing authority
• Insurance agencies
• Registrar of Voters
• Passport office
• Public Assistance (welfare) office
• Veterans Administration.

If you've made a will or other estate-planning document (such as a living trust), it's best to replace it with a new document using your new name. Your beneficiaries won't lose their inheritances if you don't, but changing the document now will avoid confusion later.

Finally, remember to change your name on other important legal papers -- for example, powers of attorney, living wills, and contracts.