▁common - law ▁relationship . ▁In ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia , ▁people ▁have ▁to ▁under go ▁a ▁legal ▁name ▁change ▁if ▁they ▁want ▁to ▁use ▁a ▁combined ▁surname ▁after ▁marriage . ▁Their ▁marriage ▁certificate ▁is ▁considered ▁proof ▁of ▁their ▁new ▁name . ▁ ▁The ▁custom ▁in ▁Québec ▁was ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁one ▁in ▁France ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁Women ▁would ▁tradition ally ▁go ▁by ▁their ▁husband ' s ▁surname ▁in ▁daily ▁life , ▁but ▁their ▁ma iden ▁name ▁remained ▁their ▁legal ▁name . ▁Since ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁provincial ▁law ▁intended ▁to ▁promote ▁gender ▁equality , ▁as ▁out lined ▁in ▁the ▁Québec ▁Char ter ▁of ▁Rights , ▁no ▁change ▁may ▁be ▁made ▁to ▁a ▁person ' s ▁name ▁without ▁the ▁authorization ▁of ▁the ▁registr ar ▁of ▁civil ▁status ▁or ▁the ▁authorization ▁of ▁the ▁court . ▁New ly w eds ▁who ▁wish ▁to ▁change ▁their ▁names ▁upon ▁marriage ▁must ▁therefore ▁go ▁through ▁the ▁same ▁procedure ▁as ▁those ▁changing ▁their ▁names ▁for ▁other ▁reasons . ▁The ▁registr ar ▁of ▁civil ▁status ▁may ▁author ize ▁a ▁name ▁change ▁if : ▁ ▁the ▁name ▁the ▁person ▁generally ▁uses ▁does ▁not ▁correspond ▁to ▁the ▁name ▁on ▁their ▁birth ▁certificate , ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁of ▁foreign ▁origin ▁or ▁too ▁difficult ▁to ▁pron ounce ▁or ▁write ▁in ▁its ▁original ▁form , ▁or ▁ ▁the ▁name ▁inv ites ▁rid ic ule ▁or ▁has ▁become ▁inf am ous . ▁ ▁This ▁law ▁does ▁not ▁make ▁it ▁legal ▁for ▁a ▁woman ▁to ▁change ▁her