If you want to revert to your maiden name, your attorney will make it part of the petition for divorce and in most cases, it will be granted WITH the final divorce. I got this in my final, but haven't done anything about it yet -- and it's been more than 5 years since the divorce was final. There were retirement funds that needed to be transferred from X to me and my financial advisor told me NOT to change it UNTIL the QDRO was done and the transfer completed.

By then, I had already renewed my U.S. Passport and it just became too much of an administrative hassle. I figure a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, so I have continued to use my hyphenated last name -- same as I had used for the previous 25 years.

Love, love, love having my birth name back...only draw back is on Facebook - I needed to put both names on so my friends who only knew me married could find me to befriend me:)

Cute story - I had a little 2nd graders ask me why I changed my name. When I told her it was a long story, she gently patted me on the hand and said, "That's okay...you don't have to tell me." And that is why I love little people!

Hey hurtinandhealing, sounds just like my ex stbx he demanded, fist pounding on the table that he did not want me to use his name. So I will keep it. hehehehe hate having to deal with that branch of the government.

This is so hard for me. I have used my married name professionally for the last 29 years. I have published articles that are cited by others. Maybe I can change my name back for everything but professional. I know some who keep maiden name professionally and go by married name away from work. My situation will be the reverse. I also have kids at home. another reason not to change. It will bother me to go by his name after he treated me like this.....

This is a personal choice. For me after 38 years it is my name and my kids names. I am sure there are many other people with the same last name and I dont want to know them either.

I happily changed back to my maiden name. I don't beleve there was ever a real spiritual marriage which the taking of his name suggests. I didn't like the name, I really wanted to get everything of him off me. I considered changing to a hyphenated maiden-married name. That would be worse than the odd last name. I agonized, thinking I needed to have the same last name as my minor kids. I would have changed it eventually. My attorney put it in the divorce paperwork, no extra charge. It was just a little bit more paperwork to me, but every piece of paper that went back in my name felt like a victory. I took myself back one piece of paper at a time.

I love having my name back. I don't want to be known as Mrs. x. I am embarassed I ever married a man like him.

I didn't want to change to his name in the first place. He pouted and I relented. So when I was promoted I felt sad that it was Captain x and not my name. I am so happy that when I graduate, the degree will be in my name.
good luck!

This has not been a problem for my kids. It is just another change.

You know actually I've been looking at that list that I compiled and got to thinking that most of those things on that list you have to contact anyway due to the divorce if you have to take your X's name off them so it really wouldn't be much of a hassle other than drivers license and soc.sec. card.