Question...

[oldsoldierfadingfast]

Have any of you undergone a name change for any reason other than marriage or adoption?
If so, how difficult was it to change everything such as SS, banks, pensions, property titles, etc. etc. etc.?
I am 86 and want to leave this world with my maiden name and not that of my ex.

[Bread and Circuses]

1. It is a bit of work.

Since you were married, start with getting :

Your original birth certificate
Your marriage certificate
Your divorce decree.
Other photo ID’s
SS card

You may be able to change your name back to your maiden name with the court that issued your divorce even if that was years ago.
If not, You will need to a file Petition with the superior court . Your state should have firms and directions online

It will take a few months and then a few more months to send the name change request to your banks, etc.

Good Luck.

[evemac]

2. I get it at 86.

But for the life of me, I don't understand why women still change their names. Glad you're doing it! Congratulations!

[markie]

3. just time and paperwork

good luck... I still have my maiden name but to be fair it is still paternal and is my father's

[AverageOldGuy]

4. Contact your local Circuit Court Clerk

Ask you local Circuit Court Clerk about a name change.

At birth my wife was named T____ R____ G_____. She was never called T, always called R. She does not like the T___.

When we applied for a marriage license and were married, she became R____ G____ S_____ (My Last Name).

We moved around a lot due to my military service. She kept a Tennessee drivers license with the name R____ G____ S____.

About 20 years ago, we settled in rural Virginia. DMV wanted to see our birth certificates to issue VA licenses. The DMV people INSISTED the name on her DL would be FIRST NAME FROM BIRTH CERTIFICATE, LAST NAME AT BIRTH, MARRIED LAST NAME -- that is, TGS. She raised hell about it, she wanted RGS, DMV folks refused to budge, told her to go to court.

We went to county courthouse, talked to Clerk of the Circuit Court who gave us a form. We filled in (1) the name she did not want -- which was T_____ (first name on birth certificate) G______ (Last name at birth) S____ (My last name), then, (2) filled in the part about what name do you want -- R___ G___ S___. Four days later the clerk called us, judge has signed the court order, come get it, and now she has a VA DL with her desired name. We paid $5.00 each for additional copies of the name change order complete with official county seal and we keep them with our birth certificates, marriage license, and other legal documents.

When we applied for passport, we applied in the name she wants; we submitted birth certs, marriage license, and copy of name change order -- passport is in the name she wants.

At the time we went through that process, we had been married for 40 years -- she had NEVER had a problem with giving her name as RGS -- military records, health records, drivers license, children's birth certificates, voter registration -- it was just that one DMV incident that sent us to court. We will have been married 60 years come this July.


Check with your local Circuit Court Clerk.