How to Change Your Name After a Divorce
Obtain a copy of your court order and use it when you request that agencies and creditors change your name in their records.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Be sure to tell the judge during your divorce that you want to change your name. Specify what you want to change it to. The judge will then include this in your judgment or order.
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2
Obtain a certified copy of your judgment or order from your attorney or from the court clerk's office.
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3
Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Social Security Administration, your employer, your bank, your creditors, your utility providers and anyone else you wish to notify. Request that they change your name in their records.
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4
Go in person to your local Social Security office and the Department of Motor Vehicles. You'll need to bring a copy of the court order as well as other ID (it's OK if the ID uses your old name).
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5
Send copies of the court order to anyone else who will not change your name without documentation. If it isn't required, don't send the court order (because this contains information about your divorce that you may not want to share).
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6
Understand that you can change your child's name only if the court has ordered it.
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7
Tell your family and friends that you've changed your name.
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8
Correct your name on your luggage tags, stationery, checks and address labels.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You may wish to notify your post office to avoid confusion about your mail.
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Comments
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I'm going today or tomorrow to get mine changed back on everything. It's been a long time coming, and I WANT MY NAME BACK, lol. :)
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Does anyone know what the rules are for Oregon?
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Well it looks like I will be a Martin the rest of my life was not told that I had to ask for my name to be changed back oh well.
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stepchild
Oct 24, 2010
@eyecandyphotog ... Unfortunately it is the same way in other states as well. I was divorced in the state of Ohio and the judge actually asked my ex-husband if he granted me permission to take my maiden name back and my ex replied "No". The judge didn't ask for a reason or anything, just denied my request. I still believe he (my ex-husband) did that just to make me even more miserable! My child was close enough to 18 and graduated from high school that it wouldn't have matter regarding his school and such. -
eyecandyphotog
Oct 20, 2010
Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but if you live in Mississippi, no Judge will allow a divorced woman to revert back to her Maiden last name, as long as the couple getting a divorce has minor children together (unless the husband has abandoned the family). There are only a small handful of Judges in Tennessee that allow it, also.
