How to Change Name Legally After a Divorce
Changing your name requires a court order acknowledging your new moniker. In normal situations, you must petition the court to allow you to change your name. Following a divorce, you may simply have the name change recorded in your divorce decree.
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Instructions
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1
Ask the judge at your divorce hearing or in your divorce petition to grant a name change in the divorce decree.
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Make copies of your divorce decree. You will need these copies as proof when changing your name with companies.
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3
Request a new Social Security card reflecting the name change. Call the Social Security Administration or visit your Social Security Administration office to obtain forms and instructions.
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Visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles office and request a new driver's license reflecting your change of name. Take a copy of your new Social Security card and divorce decree.
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Update financial account information with your name change: bank accounts, certificates of deposit, personal checks, debit cards, credit cards and 401K accounts.
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Begin informing companies as bills come in that you would like your new name to be reflected on future statements. The company may require proof of your change of name.
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7
Obtain a new voter registration card.
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Tips & Warnings
If you will be changing or closing accounts, do not worry about name change forms for those accounts. A certain cellular phone company failed to change my name after several attempts. Once the contract expired, I no longer had to update my name change.
There is a fee charged for a new driver's license. Check your renewal date on the license and see if it can wait.
