Updating Your Name or Personal Status

If your legal name changes or your personal status changes—such as through marriage, divorce, or entering or ending a registered domestic partnership—it’s important to notify SCERS. Keeping this information current helps ensure accurate records and may affect eligibility for survivor benefits.

When to Update

You should submit an update if:

• You change your legal name due to marriage, divorce, or court order
• You enter into or dissolve a marriage or registered domestic partnership
• Your personal status affects an existing beneficiary or survivor designation

SCERS uses the term “personal status” to recognize both marital and registered domestic partner relationships.

How to Make the Change

To update your name or personal status, complete and submit the:

• Member’s Affidavit (Form 6019)

You may also need to include supporting documentation such as:

• A marriage certificate
• A divorce decree
• A court-issued name change document
• A certificate of registered domestic partnership or notice of termination

The Member’s Affidavit is available on the SCERS website under Forms & Publications.

Why This Matters

Personal status changes can affect:

• Eligibility for a monthly survivor benefit
• Prior beneficiary designations
• SCERS’s ability to verify legal rights to benefits

If you’re unsure how a change in your personal life may affect your benefit, contact SCERS for guidance.