A. Keeping of MAIDEN NAME scenario If one has proof of relationship i.e. marriage certificate then it would see her through most of the joint investments, whereas as per Hindu Law, by default, the woman’s name changes and the husband’s name becomes her second name. So, if the woman wants to maintain her maiden name, then she should apply for the same with a Gazetted Officer. Then it gets published in the newspaper. Now let us see through the disadvantage a marriage certificate alone brings in in such cases i.e. in cases of family disputes where there are possibilities of the woman’s identity being questioned then one gets into disputes / legal cases unintendenly thus it is always better to have all papers in order B. Adopting the SURNAME scenario Many a women post marriage adopt the surname of their husband as common practice. Here what comes as logical thing to do is to keep handy the marriage registration papers.Now, legally, there are two ways to go for the name change. One is to submit a joint notarised Affidavit or a copy of the Official Government Gazette mentioning your new name. Then your husband and you would need to make a joint notarised Affidavit on Stamp Paper, signed by a Magistrate or a Notary. The affidavit also carries a joint photograph of your husband and you. This Notarised Affidavit, along with your marriage certificate, is enough to change your name at the bank, on your passport, on the Permanent Account Number (PAN) and driving licence. Here is the catch when you take the second step that is when you apply for a new passport. Then there would be a deletion of your name from the old ration card and its addition to the new one. Similarly, you have to apply for a new PAN card with the old number. This would be to avoid duplication of PAN cards. Only after you complete the whole procedure, should you proceed with purchase of assets, joint holdings and fair distribution of expenses as per Law of the land. C. Maden name LINKED TO NEW SURNAME Scenario Well this is a new trend, mostly used by celebrities and empowered women. Eg: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. This option is more complicated as the woman has to go through the legal procedure mentioned in case A and the entire set of formalities mentioned in case B scenarios. It’s more difficult than adopting just the new surname because the Hindu Marriage Act anyway changes the name by default. Then, you are just left with some bit of paperwork for the name change. But in this scenario, it’s like adopting a new name altogether, don't you think so ! The catch here is that Law of the land permits a woman to make a choice when it comes to their surname. But when it comes to opening a joint account, joint investments or even co-owning a house, the woman may be asked to produce an Affidavit. So, it’s better to keep it handy all the time for joint propositions. But once you make a decision, there should be uniformity in all documents — be it your passport,PAN, banking papers, or even your investments. It is for you to decide whether you want to play around with your name or leave it where it was. But stick to your decision to avoid unnecessary legal and administrative hassles in the days ot come. If you have reworked your name, then you will have to keep track of all the places where you need to make the changes. Most importantly, without dealing with the possible name change, it is prudent to avoid investments whatsoever.