What to Do After Getting Engaged | 5 Top Tips for Newly Engaged Couples

Congratulations on your engagement! As you start planning for the big day, it’s easy to focus on venues, dresses, and celebrations. But amidst the excitement, there are also some important legal and practical matters to consider as you prepare for your life together.

At Hegarty, we believe that being informed now can help you build a secure and confident future. In this article, Pavinder Khela outlines a helpful checklist of the key legal steps you might want to think about after getting engaged.

1. Marriage Ceremonies: Civil, Religious or Civil Partnership

One of your first decisions will be the type of ceremony you’d like—whether a religious marriage, civil marriage, or civil partnership.

Religious Ceremony: If you choose a religious wedding, contact your preferred place of worship early to discuss their requirements and formalities.

Civil Ceremony or Civil Partnership: For these, you'll need to give formal notice of marriage at your local Register Office.

The legal requirement is to give at least 28 full days’ notice before your wedding or civil partnership. Your notice will be displayed publicly at the Register Office during this period. You must marry or register your partnership within 12 months of giving notice.

What to bring when giving notice:

• Proof of name, age, and nationality (e.g. passport or birth certificate)
• Final Order (formerly Decree Absolute), if previously divorced
• Change of Name Deed, if you’ve previously changed your name

There may be a small fee to pay when giving notice.

2. Changing Your Name After Marriage

Many people choose to change their surname after marriage or civil partnership and this can be done in several ways. You can either use your marriage certificate to update your name with banks, your employer, HM Passport Office, etc, OR you can do it via a formal Change of Name Deed, especially if you are combining or hyphenating surnames.

If you’ve changed your name before, you’ll need to present your existing Change of Name Deed. Make sure to notify all relevant organisations of your new name.

Read more about changing your name here.

3. Pre-nuptial Agreements

A prenuptial agreement (or prenup) is a legal document that sets out how you and your partner intend to divide your assets in the event of a separation or divorce. It can help provide clarity, prevent future disputes, and protect individual or family wealth.

Though not strictly binding in UK law, courts are increasingly recognising well-drafted prenuptial agreements, especially if:

• Both parties had independent legal advice
• The agreement was made well in advance of the wedding
• There was full financial disclosure

Talk to our family law department about protecting your interests before you embark on marriage or civil partnership.

Find out more about pre-nups and post-nups here.

4. Review Your Finances and Property Ownership

If you choose not to have a prenuptial agreement, it’s important to understand that upon marriage or civil partnership, your assets and liabilities may be considered jointly in the event of a separation.

This includes any property owned, banks accounts and savings, pensions, any investments you may have, as well as any debt or tax liabilities.

If you're buying a home together or moving in, it’s worth discussing how ownership will be structured—joint tenants vs tenants in common—as this affects what happens if the relationship ends.

Joint Tenants or Tenants-in-common | What is the best choice for couples buying a property

5. Update or Create Your Will After Marriage

Getting married is a good time to create a Will or update an existing one to ensure your wishes are respected and your assets are passed on in line with your intentions.

See more about our Wills services here.

How can Hegarty help?

Every couple’s journey is unique and taking a little time now to understand your options can go a long way in protecting your shared future.

Whether you need advice on marriage formalities, name changes, pre-nuptial agreements, or estate planning, our friendly and experienced team is here to help.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for tailored legal support that’s right for you.