Changing your name after divorce is not an easy decision.
Divorce comes with a lot of complications. One of those, if you’re a woman, is the decision to keep your married name or change back to your maiden name. Naturally, you’re free to make the decision that suits your needs best, but there are a few considerations to take before you head off to the DMV and social security office.
What are my reasons for changing my name?
Every woman is different, but some of the reasons we often hear may ring true for you as well. These include the need to separate ties from the former spouse. Many women feel that, by carrying a former spouse’s name, the marriage won’t feel fully dissolved. Other women simply never liked their married name, or preferred their maiden name. And lastly, many women feel that the name they were born with is their “true” name, so returning to it simply feels natural.
What about the kids?
One thing to consider when contemplating a name change is how this could affect your children. When you get divorced, your children’s last name with stay the same, but yours could change. If you feel that this will affect your kids negatively, or simply don’t want to be asked questions regarding your marriage or the difference in the names, it’s easy to simply keep the last name. Of course, you might be juggling the pros and cons of each scenario to determine which are more important in your situation.
What will it take?
While changing your name isn’t a difficult process, it can be time-consuming and annoying. You’ll need to visit the DMV and the social security office, and then update your credit cards, banking information and passport. This can take time and money and create a lot of confusion. The good news is that the confusion will dissipate with time; changing your name rarely leads to permanent identity problems.
Whatever steps you need to take as you work through your divorce, we’re here to help. Give us a call today.