Many women choose to take their husband’s last name when they get married. Jennifer Lopez, known by many as “JLo”, did just that when she married Marc Anthony in 2004. According to her legal documents, JLo’s legal name is Jennifer Muniz, which is her husband’s legal last name. But, according to TMZ, now that the couple is on the road to divorce “JLo” is adamant about getting her maiden name back!

Just like you made the choice to take your soon to be ex-husband’s last name when you got married, you can chose to restore your maiden name post-divorce or just keep your married last name, despite the divorce. Some considerations to think about when deciding whether or not to change your name are the impact a name change has with regards to your children, your profession and your well-being. Some women prefer not to have a different last name as their children and therefore keep their married name. To others, this isn’t that big of a deal. If you made a name for yourself at work before marriage and then put work on hold during your marriage, perhaps you will want your maiden name back so you can return to the same industry post-divorce and be recognized a bit easier. When deciding whether or not to change your name back it’s also important to think about whether it’s worth the extra time and hassle to change your name on your driver’s license, passport, financial accounts, etc. Perhaps you are more comfortable with your married name because that’s how the people in your community know you, or maybe you want nothing to do with your soon to be ex-husband and want a fresh start. Either way, divorce attorneys will advise their clients that changing your last name back after a divorce is a personal decision and you are entitled to do as you wish. Your soon to be ex-husband cannot force you to change your last name back or to keep your married name.

Changing your name back to your maiden name can be done either at the time of the divorce or at a later date after your divorce is final. However, if you already know that you want your maiden name back, it’s a good idea to go ahead and take care of it during the divorce process. A specific provision can be included in your marital settlement agreement such as the following: “This Judgment incorporating the terms of this Agreement shall restore to Wife her former name of ____.” Doing so will allow you to avoid any stress or time related to going through the process to change your name after the divorce has already been finalized.

Please contact us if you are considering a divorce from your spouse and would like your name change to be handled as part of your divorce judgment or settlement. Nancy J. Bickford is the only lawyer in San Diego County representing clients in divorces, who is a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) and who is actively licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Don’t settle for less when determining your rights. Call 858-793-8884 in Del Mar, Carmel Valley, North County or San Diego.