In\nthe United States, your surname may give you a sense of self and of belonging. For\nwomen who have changed their names upon marriage, a subsequent divorce raises\nthe question: should I take back my own\nlast name? There are several reasons\nsome women may prefer to keep their married surname after a divorce. For\nexample, she might wish to have the same last name as the children, or there\nmay be professional reasons that she identifies with the name, preferring not\nto start building a professional reputation from scratch. For example, Victoria\nBeckham rose to fame in the Spice Girls empire at the same time as her marriage\nto David Beckham. When someone mentions Victoria Beckham, nearly everyone knows\nher. However, if someone were to call her\nby her maiden name, Victoria Adams, few would know her. . <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\nmay also opt to keep your married name for simpler reasons, such as it being\neasier to pronounce than your maiden name or because you remember the hassles\nof changing your name (including getting a new passport, driver\u2019s license, and\nupdating the Social Security Administration as well as all financial institutions). Many men ask us if it is possible to require\ntheir ex-wives to change their last names to their maiden names. It is not\npossible to require anyone to change back to a prior surname. This is only the choice of the person\ncarrying the name, even if it was not her birth name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For\nmany women, the choice to change their last names back to their prior surname\nis an important and liberating step in the divorce process. For some women, taking back their identify\nfrom before the marriage is critical to the divorce process. Taking someone\u2019s last name upon marriage is a\nsymbol of unity, and many wish to sever the legal and emotional connections\nwith the former spouse upon the divorce. \n\nPlease note that name\nchanges upon divorce are not automatic. If\nyou wish to change your last name, you may do so as early as the day after you\nfile for divorce. You can also do so\nafter the divorce is granted. We can\nhelp you through the process and answer any questions you have regarding this\nimportant decision. \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the United States, your surname may give you a sense of self and of belonging. For women who have changed their names upon marriage, a subsequent divorce raises the question: should I take back my own last name? There are several reasons some women may prefer to keep their married surname after a divorce. … <\/p>\n