Cheque problem: maiden vs married name?

I recently tried to lodge a cheque made out to both me and my wife in our married name, e.g. Mr & Mrs. Ewing.

However, as my wife generally uses her maiden name, our joint a/c uses her maiden name.

BoI refused to lodge the cheque into the a/c because of the discrepancies. They understand the issue, but say there is nothing they can do, as audits will pick up something like this.

They say my wife needs to bring in the marriage cert and change the name on her accounts. Surely this is her prerogative whether she wants to do this or not? She can't help that somebody made out the cheque to her in her married name.

Does anybody know a way around this? Maybe if we gave BoI a copy of our marriage cert with the cheque (for their files) ?

The bank has an obligation to verify identities under money laundering regulations so are most likely perfectly correct and entitled to ask for additional identifying documentation and maybe even insist that the names on the cheque and account match.

jrewing said:

She can't help that somebody made out the cheque to her in her married name.

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And neither can the bank?

Alternatively, she could go back to whoever issued her the cheque and ask them to re-issue in here maiden name.

If she is using her married name at work etc., it surely makes sense to have her bank account in whatever name she tends to go by.

never was a problem for me - we got married and cheques came in all manner of my name and there was no issue lodging anywhere, depends on the teller i think - try the "friendly CU"!

Nelly, come to think of it, I have lodged similar cheques before without a problem. I think you may be right, I should look for the friendly teller.

CCOVICH, she doesn't use her married name anywhere at the moment. The cheque was a Christmas present from a relative, who would assume that they should write Mr and Mrs Ewing on the cheque, seeing as we're married. Don't want to go back to her and ask for a new cheque.

I will try in the bank some other day....

I have lodged cheques in both my married and maiden name into my Bank and there was no requirement to change the name on our account (although I subsequently did this) HOWEVER I did have to furnish the bank with a copy of my marriage certificate to cover this scenario.

Fobd is right. if bank are satisfied that you are you, then there should be no problem.

Is the cheque crossed "A/c Payee only"? Because if it is then that may be problem. Then it can only be lodged into the joint account of both payees

Lorraine B, It's crossed "& co", not sure if that affects whether it must go into our account?

Is the cheque crossed "A/c Payee only"? Because if it is then that may be problem. Then it can only be lodged into the joint account of both payees

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stricly true but its really down to the discretion of the teller get a nice one and you should be fine
no joy then ask for a manager

As an occasional teller & always friendly no matter which role I'm in I would like to clarify.

Technically it is definitely NOT correct to lodge a cheque that is made out to a different name than the name on the a/c. I would often make exceptions for wedding presents as it's generally not possible to have a marriage cert at this early stage & sometimes the couple need the money for the honeymoon.

While I may do this that doesn't mean it's correct to do so & if the auditors were checking up on me I'd be in trouble.

If you provide a marriage cert to the bank, they can keep this on file & it shows the link between both your names. This should satisfy identification.

In case you think I'm being awkward, on getting divorced in recent years I had to provide my own marriage cert to change my name back to my birth name. It's not just customers who have to go through this. Staff have to fulfill full money laundering obligations on their own a/c's.

I don't think that your wife needs to change name on bank account - she just needs to show her marriage cert to show that the cheque is meant for her - I can understand their need for this. Its simple enough.

use the fast lodgement box. Betcha it gets lodged.

We have received numerous cheques in joint names with the one surname - I have yet to change my surname from my maiden name on our joint AIB account. We have never encountered a problem with lodging such cheques...

Bgirl said:

use the fast lodgement box. Betcha it gets lodged.

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An old thread, but this issue arose recently when my wife Quickbanked her monthly work cheque at PTSB. The cheque wasn't lodged but posted out to her. It was peculiar because the PTSB branch have all her details and any cheques payable to her marrried name have been lodged to her maiden named a/c for years, and any work cheques are a/c payee only.

I'm very surprised that this practise has been operated to date by the Bank. In recent years banks have being required to apply strict rules in respect of cheques lodged to accounts. This is to avoid fraud and money laundering. If she wishes to retain the account in her maiden name, she should request that her employer issues cheques to her in that name. Simplest way of resolving the issue!

The strict legal position in relation to cheques is that a payee should be named "or otherwise indicated therein with reasonable certainty". It's not unusual for a married woman to be known by her maiden name in some contexts and by her husband's surname in others. So long as the bank is aware of both names, there can be reasonable certainty about who the intended payee is.

jrewing said:

Surely this is her prerogative whether she wants to do this or not?

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Recently had a situation where I wanted to go by my married name on an account for the bank statements to be sent to me (volunteer position)....my personal banking all in maiden...unfort bank wouldnt allow my married name on this account without changing all my personal accounts and fought tooth n nail with me over it...

I asked in a different branch...found out only two of the three signatures needed for cheque (there could be up to five) need to verify their details and so I could use any name I wished...

back in I go...and present my findings...again bank fought tooth n nail, in public I might add, saying what was printed by bank was open to interpretation ....the other two people both had bank accounts in the same bank but they were hawled over hot coals in order to change the three names from the old names on the committee...took 9 months to do the change over.

In I go to query something and I find out that they had put the wrong name and address into what should have been my name and address...never so much as an apology.

I have/am switching to local credit union with everything I can.