Changing to married name on title/mortgage

Hello,
I was wanting to change my surname to my married name on my property title as well as for body corporate etc. I was wondering if anyone has done this and whether they incurred any costs in doing so. I was told by my solicitor not to do this as it will mean paying stamp duty again as it is as if we are buying the property again. That just sounds ridiculous to me (She is no longer my lawyer due to other bad advice).

Can someone please inform me of the costs involved and how I do it? I live in the ACT if that helps.

Thanks,
Luckyone

Luckyone,

You would definately not incur a stamp duty liability by simply changing your name. It is only triggered by a change in ownership.

The Titles Office would have the details of costs etc, you could expect a small admin charge.

The office resposible in WA is the Department of Land Administration not sure if it has a diifferent name in the ACT. Check the State Govt website.

Ben.

G'day Luckyone,

My wife did this a few years after we got married....she is still having an identity crisis !!

Anyway, the point is, Benson is right : small fee, fill in a very boring form, too easy. By small fee, here in Victoria, it was only approx $5 ( five dollars ) from memory.

Stamp duty is not required.

The Titles Office can help you - mind you, they are one of those departments that take forever to actually serve you, and the queue will be guaranteed to be very long, and once it is your turn they'll tell you that you are in the wrong place and you should be on the third floor, at which point you find the queue on the third floor is even longer than the one you've just been waiting in...... etc. You get the idea.

Have a good one,

BDM

Thanks BDM,

Here in freezing Canberra we have the luxury of not having long lines in the Revenue Office as the office is so small that noone really seems to know its there. Luckily for me, it's right across the road from my work. Would have gone there earlier had I known that was the appropriate place to make the changes.
Thanks for your advice,
Luckyone

Take your certificate with you.