12 Essential Admin Tasks Every Newly Married Couple Should Prioritise
Getting married is one of life’s most joyous occasions, but after the wedding cake has been eaten and the confetti cleared away, there’s a to-do list of essential admin tasks waiting for you. These practical steps will help you secure your legal and financial future as a married couple and set up a solid foundation for your life together.
If you’re newly married and based in the UK, here are 12 admin tasks you should tackle to make sure everything is up to date and in order.
1. Update or Write Your Will
Marriage in the UK automatically invalidates any existing wills unless they were written with your upcoming marriage in mind. This means you and your spouse should write or update your wills as soon as possible to reflect your new circumstances.
Things to consider:
Name each other as primary beneficiaries.
Decide who will inherit if both of you pass away, such as future children or other family members.
Appoint executors to ensure your wishes are carried out.
You may want to consult a solicitor specialising in wills and probate to ensure your will complies with UK law.
If you want something simple done right after your wedding, you can use online resources like Freewill to draft a simple, legally binding will. You can always update this later if needed, but having some form of a will is better than nothing.
2. Update Beneficiaries on Financial Accounts and Insurance
Many financial accounts and policies in the UK, such as life insurance or pensions, allow you to nominate beneficiaries. After marriage, it’s wise to update these to reflect your spouse.
Key areas to check:
Workplace pension schemes (contact your HR department to update nomination forms).
Private pensions or retirement savings.
Life insurance policies.
Keeping these records up to date ensures your spouse receives these benefits without any disputes or delays.
3. Check or Update Your Health Insurance
If you or your spouse have private health insurance, check whether your plan allows for joint or family coverage. You might find it more cost-effective to combine policies or add your spouse to your plan.
What to do:
Contact your insurer to ask about spousal coverage.
Update your policy details, including your marital status.
It’s also a good time to make sure your GP has your updated marital status and emergency contact details.
4. Change Your Name on Official Documents (If Applicable)
If you’ve chosen to change your surname after marriage, you’ll need to update your details on all official UK documents.
Here’s how to get started:
Marriage Certificate: Obtain certified copies, as these will be required for name changes.
Passport: Use the marriage certificate to apply for a new passport. This can be done online or via post.
Driving Licence: Update your details with the DVLA through their online service.
Bank Accounts: Notify your bank and provide proof of your name change.
Don’t forget to update your name with utility providers, your employer, and any subscription services you use.
5. Update HMRC and Your Tax Code
Your marriage can affect your tax situation in the UK. For example, married couples may qualify for the Marriage Allowance, which allows one partner to transfer up to £1,260 of their personal tax allowance to the other, if you meet certain eligibility requirements.
Steps to take:
Notify HMRC of your marital status. You can do this online through your personal tax account.
Check if you’re eligible for the Marriage Allowance and apply online if it benefits you.
Review your tax code to ensure it reflects any changes.
6. Combine or Streamline Bank Accounts (If Desired)
Many couples in the UK opt to combine finances by opening a joint account, which can make managing shared expenses like mortgage/rent, bills, and groceries easier. However, some couples prefer to maintain individual accounts and open a joint account solely for shared costs.
To open a joint account:
Both of you must provide proof of identity (e.g., passport) and address (e.g., utility bill).
Notify your bank of any name changes at the same time.
Be sure to discuss your financial approach to life well in advance of combining bank accounts and agree on how you’ll manage your accounts as a married couple. Combining finances can almost seem like a bigger step than the actual marriage, so it is advisable to have transparent discussions about finances regularly as a couple.
7. Update Your Home or Renters Insurance
If you’re moving in together after marriage or already sharing a home, you should update your home insurance policy to include both of you. This ensures your shared belongings are adequately covered.
Steps to take:
Notify your insurer of your marital status and any changes to your living situation.
If applicable, combine your policies for a single household policy.
Review the level of cover to ensure it meets your needs, especially for valuable wedding gifts or new purchases.
8. Set Up a Budget and Financial Plan
Now that you’re married, it’s essential to sit down and discuss your financial priorities. This includes budgeting for everyday expenses, planning for holidays, and saving for long-term goals like buying a house or children.
How to get started:
List your combined income and expenses.
Set savings goals, such as building an emergency fund or saving for a deposit on a home.
Use budgeting tools or apps like Monzo, Yolt, or Emma to track spending.
Being open about your finances from the start will set you up for success and avoid any feelings of resentment if one person feels like the other isn’t contributing as much.
9. Review Existing Debt and Create a Repayment Plan
Marriage doesn’t automatically merge your debts in the UK (like it does in other countries, such as the US), but it’s important to discuss any existing loans, credit card balances, or student debt. Transparency is key to building a strong financial partnership, which is essential for a successful marriage (it is sad, but many marriages break down over differing opinions on finances).
Steps to take:
List all debts, including amounts, interest rates, and repayment terms.
Decide together how you’ll manage repayments—e.g., tackling high-interest debts first.
Explore options like balance transfers or debt consolidation to reduce costs.
Talking about finances openly might make you feel vulnerable, especially if you have debt or you have made some financial mistakes in your past, but being open, honest and transparent will increase trust and can reduce the burden on you alone. After all, marriage is a team-sport!
10. Update Emergency Contact Information
Updating your emergency contacts is a small but crucial step after marriage. Ensure your spouse is listed as your primary contact for:
NHS records (through your GP surgery).
Workplace HR systems.
Insurance policies.
Travel reward accounts (airlines, train services, etc.).
This ensures your spouse is contacted quickly in case of an emergency.
11. Plan for the Future Together
Marriage marks the beginning of a shared future, making it the perfect time to align on long-term goals. These might include:
Buying a home (research schemes like Help to Buy or Lifetime ISA).
Saving for retirement (review your pension contributions and state pension eligibility).
Planning for children, including their education and childcare costs.
Setting these goals early helps you work towards them more effectively. Setting up different savings pots for various goals can help you reach your goals more effectively. For example, if you want to buy a house in the next 2 years, but you don’t plan to have children for at least 5 years, you should set up different savings plans for each goal to ensure you are allocating an appropriate amount of money to each based on your preferred timeline.
12. Organise Your Important Documents
Finally, create a system to store your important documents securely. This ensures that you can access everything you need quickly and easily.
Documents to organise:
Marriage certificate (keep a certified copy handy).
Updated wills.
Insurance policies and pension details.
Passports, birth certificates, and driving licences.
A fireproof safe or digital storage system is a great option for keeping everything secure.
One easy way to handle this is to create a joint email address with Google, which will automatically give you a shared Google drive. We set this up prior to our marriage for getting wedding venue details, but now we have used it for joint insurance policies and storing digital copies of documents that we might both need access to. It’s come in very handy so far! We also can use the shared Google calendar to ensure we both have important appointments in our diaries.
Final Thoughts
While these administrative tasks might not be the most exciting part of married life, they are essential for laying a strong foundation for your future together. By addressing these items early, you’ll avoid complications down the road and ensure that everything is in order.
Grab a cup of tea, sit down with your new spouse, and start ticking off this list. Once these tasks are out of the way, you’ll be free to enjoy the more romantic parts of married life with peace of mind.
