When you decide to get a divorce in Florida, many things go through your mind. Something that people often want to do right away is to change their names back to what they were before they got married. This isn’t always easy, especially if your name has been changed for many years.
Legally speaking, changing your name isn’t difficult. You can restore your former name in the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage. You need to request it, but with simple paperwork, you can regain the legal name you had prior to marriage.
Changing your name back is a long process
The difficulty with changing a name isn’t getting it back. The difficulty comes with changing everything that you own in your married name. Take for example bank accounts. You need to take your documents to show your name change and have all of your financial documents adjusted. You’ll have to get a new license with a new name. Any passports or transportation documents likely need to be updated as well. Overall, while the processes usually require only a little paperwork, it still takes time and energy to make sure you change all the important documents back to what you had before marriage.
Fortunately, this is something attorneys are very familiar with. Many have a list of common documents you need to change, while others may be able to file the documents with your creditors, banks and others for you. Changing your name is an integral part of getting back your identity following marriage, and an attorney can help you make it easier.
Source: The Florida Bar, “Consumer Pamphlet: Divorce In Florida,” accessed March 07, 2018