Divorce signals big changes, and not just in your marital status. If you've been using your spouse's last name since your marriage, you may now be considering a change back to your maiden name. This decision should be carefully weighed, since it may cause some additional issues to deal with at a time when a lot is already happening. On the other hand, if you wait until later it may not be as easy to accomplish this act. Read on to learn more about taking back your maiden name with a divorce.
A handy way to accomplish the change
In most cases, you would need to visit with a judge to accomplish a name change, but if you include the provision in your divorce decree you will have the change take place automatically when the judge signs the decree. However, you absolutely do not have to change your last name at all, it is strictly up to you. If you don't want to hassle with the change and confusion, you can continue using your current married name for the remainder of your days. You need take no action at all as far as a name change is concerned.
You should take into consideration that there are some limits to this method of name changing. If you use the divorce decree to change your name, you can only change it back to a previous name; either your maiden name or the name you used prior to your most recent marriage. If you wish to begin using an entirely different name, you must follow the traditional avenues to change your name.
Another interesting point to consider concerns the opportunity for men to change their names with a divorce decree the same way that women can. These days, some married couples use a hyphenated version of both of their last names, and the man can take back his previous last name with a divorce if he so wishes.
A laundry list of changes to make
It can be nearly overwhelming to contemplate the various places where your name will need to be changed if you go that route, so here's a convenient checklist:
To learn more about the steps to take to change your name, continue reading more here and speak with a divorce attorney.