Casa Chappell: Becoming a Chappell

Becoming a Chappell has been one of the most frustrating and lengthy processes I've ever endured.

And I'm not talking about marriage. Marriage has been great.
But changing my name...a whole other story.

No one told me what a pain it was going to be to get married, change my name, and move.
Don't believe me? let me share with you the list of organizations that need to be notified (officially, with a copy of my marriage certificate) of my legal name change and address change.

Before starting the process on any of these, I had to pay $30 to obtain 4 copies of my marriage license from Cook County courts.

Social Security Administration. This involved mailing my old SS card, DL, birth cert, marriage license and a form. I spent $5 on insurance and certified mail to make sure my documents didn't get lost in translation.
DMV. You can only obtain a CA license after your name has been changed with SSA. You must bring in 5 documents including form, wait in line for an hour, and then take a written test. California driving rules, like everything else in CA, are WAAAY different and more complicated than the rest of the U.S. So this afternoon finds me returning to the DMV to repeat the process, take unpaid time from work and hopefuly pass the written test this time! $28
Passport. I can only obtain my passport after SSA has my new name change. Also, I have to apply for a brand new passport. Which means another $75 after just paying that 2 years ago for my trip to Africa.
Post office. The most painless of all. It involves filling out an online form that takes all of 3 minutes. Hooray!
Credit Cards. I have 3 (one store charge card). They usually require proof of name change and must be conducted over the phone.
Bank accounts (I have 2 accounts with one bank, and investments with another) similar process to credit card.
Student loan organization
Insurance company. This was easier because I started a new job. I only had to provide proof to my employer once for all my benefits at WSCAL. But for car insurance...I had to obtain a CA license before qualifying....just another hoop to jump through!