Many People Choosing New Names after Divorce
After a divorce, many people find that it is time to re-invent themselves. According to a report by the Christian Science Monitor, some people decide to start with a name change.
There is a new trend for women to take a new last name after a divorce so that they neither keep their ex-husband's name nor revert back to their maiden name. In the past, most women with children would traditionally opt to stay with their married name to keep a sense of unity with their children, while many other women who divorced and did not have children in the marriage would choose to go back to using their maiden name.
Some women who have used their married name professionally have often chosen to keep their married name after divorcing simply to avoid the hassles associated with a name change. However, times and traditions are changing, and apparently attitude's about last names are also in a state of transition.
Many women are now finding that the two traditional options just don't fit their circumstances and instead decide to make up a new last name and have their names legally changed. Sometimes the new last name is a combination of names, a family name that was not the maiden name or something that significantly reflects the women they have become since they got married and later divorced. No matter how the new last names are derived, they are generally completely unique and different from both the married and maiden names.
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The reasons behind why women choose to create a new last name after divorce vary from person to person. Some women feel that they simply are not the same person they were before they got married and that going back to their maiden name would be inappropriate. Since they don't wish to keep their ex-husband's last name, creating a new name to use seems to be the obvious choice.
Other women want to distance themselves from their ex-husbands as much as possible, especially after a bitter divorce, and may choose a new last name to start fresh and leave a failed marriage in the dust. In some cases, creating a new name and legally changing the last name becomes an act of closure and a symbol of independence.
A legal name change to a name that is not the maiden name generally requires that a petition be filed with the court explaining the reason for the new name. A notice of the name change is then usually required to be published in a newspaper of record chosen by the court so that all creditors and other interested parties are considered notified. After that is done, a judge can finalize the legal name change.
The cost of a name change varies depending on the location of the court, but the fees are not generally exorbitant. Some women may have concerns about a legal name change after a divorce because of the chance it could cause complications when trying to collect benefits later and cause them to have to prove that they did not remarry and that they are still eligible to collect the benefits.
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In addition to the costs and possible complications involved with a legal name change, it also takes a little time. The name change has to be reflected on the driver's license, Social Security card, passport, bank accounts, insurance cards and all other legal documents and accounts. For professional women, the name may also need to be changed on all letterheads, business cards, signage, websites and promotional materials as well. It can be quite an undertaking.
The Christian Science Monitor also notes that some men also petition the court for legal name changes after divorce. For instance, if a couple had decided to hyphenate their last names when they got married, after a divorce an ex-husband may wish to legally change his name back to the non-hyphenated version of the last name that he used prior to the marriage - after all, what's good for the goose, is good for the gander.
Whatever the reasons and no matter what name is chosen to replace the married name, a new name gives some people exactly want they need to start their new lives after a divorce.