after a divorce...do women use their maiden name again?

[monarch64]

Date: 6/21/2009 8:45:10 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 6/20/2009 8:11:50 AM
Author: atroop711
I know some who went back to their maiden and others who kept their ex''s last name (mostly because they want to have the same last name as their kids)

what if she has a few ex''s

then what,flip a coin?

DF, have you ever seen the movie "Intolerable Cruelty" (George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones)? That should give you a realistic view of all these divorce-related questions.

Kidding...but it''s a really funny movie.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 6/22/2009 9:01:47 AM
Author: justginger
Sorry if I gave misleading information. I am in Australia and all I had to do to change back to my maiden name was send a certified copy of my passport (in my maiden name) to the DMV. Same with all of my banking and various accounts; a passport in that name was all that was necessary to go back to being me!

Ah, makes sense now. However, is it very difficult for you to have your passport changed back to your maiden name (if you had previously changed it to a married name)?

 

[CurlySue]

My parents divorced after 20+ years of marriage, and my mom kept his last name. That was how most of her friends and colleagues knew her, so I think she felt it was easier. Plus, it was a fairly amicable divorce, so she didn''t have that intense desire to drop it.

Funny thing is that about a decade later, she remarried a guy with the same last name (it''s a fairly common last name, but still kinda funny).

So... it all worked out for the best.

 

[mausketeer]

Interesting responses..... I think the kid issue is the big one here (if you have kids with the husband''s name then I understand keeping it the same. Otherwise I''m afraid I just don''t get it.

Actually, I am a proponent of making up your OWN name if you get a divorce! Hey, you are given your FATHER''S name when you''re born, you take your HUSBAND''S name when you get married (not always, but often) - how about we make up our OWN name if we get divorced! Anyone agree? I was actually thinking of taking the name FINE or WELLS (as in "I am doing very well thank you") or something like that when I got divorced. It was totally legal and was actually an OPTION in the whole divorce proceedings.... (to legally change my name - it didn''t say I had to change it back to my maiden name).

 

[chrono]

For those with who are keeping their married name after divorce due to the children, what happens when you remarry? Take the new hubby''s name? Then the children will no longer have the same last name as you. Add a new child to the mix and all the names are not the same as well.

 

[Elmorton]

DH and I joked about this, because after another PS thread I realized that since I''d legally dropped my middle name, so I''d be Elmorton Maiden Maiden if I reverted back. In all honesty, I''d probably keep my middle dropped and legally not have a middle name. It would be weird to me to add it back in.

DH''s mom did not change her name (she asked her kids if they wanted her to - shocker, they were 9,7 and 5 and said no, they didn''t want her to change it). I think it''s a little awkward that she didn''t (it was weird for DH''s little bro''s graduation when he was "son of Dad Lastname and Mom Lastname" and was difficult to work with for our wedding invites/programs, but at the same time, I can''t blame her because right now, it''s hard to imagine changing mine back. I really love my names and how they sound together.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 6/20/2009 8:27:37 AM
Author: diamondrnglover
I would keep my married name because of my kids.

Yep, I''d also keep my married name because I have kids.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 6/22/2009 11:57:51 PM
Author: Chrono
For those with who are keeping their married name after divorce due to the children, what happens when you remarry? Take the new hubby''s name? Then the children will no longer have the same last name as you. Add a new child to the mix and all the names are not the same as well.

Hyphenate? I guess that is what I''d do.

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 6/22/2009 11:57:51 PM
Author: Chrono
For those with who are keeping their married name after divorce due to the children, what happens when you remarry? Take the new hubby's name? Then the children will no longer have the same last name as you. Add a new child to the mix and all the names are not the same as well.

I kept my married name because I want to match my kids. Thats more important than worrying about a future marriage. I highly doubt I will ever marry again. I am so marriage phobic now that I can't see it ever happening. And I am 100% done having kids so no issue there.

edited to add, if I had no kids, I would change back to my maiden name. But matching my kids is most important with me.