Name Change Within Divorce
Changing your name back to a maiden name or other family name as a product of your final separation or divorce is a fairly simple process if requested as part of your divorce or separation action. You will be asked questions related to the reasoning behind your request to change your name, and your new name can be ordered as a part of your final separation order or divorce decree.
Name Change Outside of Divorce
Name changes outside of divorce require a separate legal action wherein you will seek an order of the court allowing you to change your legal name. This court order is necessary for presentation to various agencies such as vital records to allow them to modify existing documents showing your legal name on your behalf.
To change the name of a child, a Guardian ad Litem will be appointed to consider the reasoning behind the request to change the child’s name and whether the name change is in the child’s best interest.