Passport name change

Hi all I'm new to the site. I've not posted here before and had some enquiry about passport name change. Please forgive my ignorance if this has been posted on here before and I just can't find it.

A little bit about us.. My husband and I have applied for fiance visa and it has been granted when back in LA. Now in the UK and we just got married last week and are in the process of applying for our Spouse visa.
My question is:
1. Should I apply for a name change to my American passport now or wait till after spouse visa?
2. Is it a faster process should i change it before applying for spouse visa?
3. Are there additional fees to passport name change?

Not sure what to do if whether I should leave it as it is till my American passport expires??

What are the pros and cons?

Any advice, help is much appreciated

Many thanks!
Mai

You can change the name in your passport via the US Embassy in London.  It might take a week or two, and if your passport is more than a year old, it will cost you.  You don't have to change the name, though, if you don't want to.  You can carry a copy of your marriage certificate with your passport, and that will be sufficient to show your name change in the UK.  However, if you do choose to change the name, definitely do it before you apply for FLR(M) because it will cost you £160 to move your visa vignette from one passport to another (although now that I think about it, they're giving ID cards for FLR(M) holders now, so that might not be an issue).  It's your choice, really, there are pros and cons to both options, it depends on how important changing the passport name is to you. 

However, if you do choose to change the name, definitely do it before you apply for FLR(M) because it will cost you £160 to move your visa vignette from one passport to another (although now that I think about it, they're giving ID cards for FLR(M) holders now, so that might not be an issue).

Actually the cost is now £165 as of 1 April 2009. Another thing to remember is that if you want your visa documents & your ID card issued in your married name you will have to change it BEFORE you apply for it, because they are issued under the name you have on your passport.

If your passport is less than 1 year old you can have the name changed on it for free, if your passport is more than a year old you have to complete a standard passport renewal through the US Embassy in London in order to change your name and currently the fee is $75.00. http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/acs/passports/marriage_namechange.html

Thanks Weby J. and Historyenne..
I went ahead with it and sent off to apply for a name change on my passport.
Think it's much easier this way but my gosh those fees what is up with that?!

Next step applying for our Spouse visa FLR(M).

Many thanks!!

Mai