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What is the smartest process you can take to legally change your name after a divorce?

What is the smartest process you can take to legally change your name after a divorce?

  • March 19th, 2021
  • Miranda Fields
  • Comments Off on What is the smartest process you can take to legally change your name after a divorce?

Divorce – Name change requirements 

What is required to change my name after divorce?

Women often change their name, or more accurately their surname, when they marry. If you have changed your surname and later divorce, you are not required to keep your ex-spouses’ surname. 

The actual process of changing a legal name in Texas is quite simple, but all the steps and requirements must be completed before the change. If you change your legal name as part of a marriage the change occurs when the marriage license is obtained. If you would like your name to be changed as the result of a divorce, it should be incorporated in your Final Decree of Divorce, if possible. However, if you decide that you would like to change your name after the divorce has been finalized, it’s still possible it just requires a separate process, and a separate petition will need to be filed with the court. The court will then grant the applicant a new name through a court order.   

Many factors come in to play when determining whether to change your name after/during a divorce. For example, some women decide to keep their married surnames because they have children with that last name and don’t like the idea of not sharing a last name. On the other hand, some women want to make it clear that they have moved on and don’t want the association with their ex-spouse. Alternatively, some women wish to keep their ex-spouse’s last name because they have earned significant recognition under it and have built a career for themselves under the surname. Ultimately the decision to change your name is very personal and that decision belongs solely to the spouse getting the name change – not to their ex.  

¿Qué se requiere para cambiar mi nombre después del divorcio? 

Las mujeres con frecuencia se cambian el apellido cuando se casan.  Si usted se cambió el nombre y después se divorcia, no tiene que seguir usando el apellido de su ex.  

El proceso legal para cambiarse el nombre en Texas es simple, pero debe reunir todos los pasos y requisitos. El cambio del nombre ocurre cuando adquiere la licencia de matrimonio.  Si a usted le gustaría cambiarse el nombre conjunto con el divorcio, el cambio debe de estar incorporado en el decreto final de divorcio.  Sin embargo, si usted decide cambiarse el nombre después del divorcio, también es posible, pero requiere un proceso diferente y necesita entablar una petición en la corte.  La corte después le otorgara el cambio mediante una orden.   

Muchos factores se consideran al determinar cambiarse el nombre durante o después del divorcio.  Por ejemplo, muchas mujeres prefieren usar su apellido de casadas porque los niños tienen el mismo apellido y no les gusta la idea de tener apellidos diferentes.  Por otro lado, muchas mujeres no quieren tener ninguna conexión con su ex.  Pero también hay mujeres que desean usar el apellido de su ex porque ya son reconocidas, muchas veces como profesionistas, bajo ese apellido.  Al fin de cuenta, es una decisión muy personal y es una decisión que hace la persona quien desea un cambio de nombre, no su ex.   

La traducción: Gilberto Solano

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