How to Change Your Name in the State of Florida Due to Divorce
By Teo Spengler
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While some women are agonizing about whether to take their fiances' surnames when they marry, others wrestle with what name they wish to use after a divorce. The issue is a personal one and your own decision may turn on how long you were married and whether you have minor children bearing their father's surname. If you are terminating your marriage in Florida, you can change your name during the divorce procedure without incurring an extra dime of expense by making the request in the dissolution petition.
Find the paragraph on the dissolution petition form that addresses restoring or changing the wife's name. In some dissolution petitions, the section reads: Wife requests to be known by her former name, which was {full legal name}.
Read More: Can I Make My Ex Wife Change Her Last Name?
Check the "yes" box in front of this paragraph on the petition and do not check the "no" box. Follow the form instructions that tell you to check only one or the other.
Enter the name you wish to use after divorce in the blank at the end of the name change paragraph. Use your full maiden name or enter a new surname, if you prefer. Cross out the language about former surname if it is not appropriate. Enter the name you wish to use in the "Request" section at the end of the petition. The court will include an order changing your name in the divorce decree.
Take the original copy or a certified copy of the divorce decree to the local Social Security Administration office. Fill out an application for a Social Security card using your new name. Show the clerk your prior Social Security card, divorce certificate and United States passport. Wait about 10 days for your new card to arrive.
Take the original copy or a certified copy of the divorce decree to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Ask that a new driver's license be issued to you in the new name.
Tips
Ask the court to enter a separate order changing your name in addition to including it in the divorce decree. That enables you to provide copies to relevant businesses and government agencies without providing all the details of your divorce.
You will need to contact all banks, credit card companies and other businesses to advise them of the name change. Some may have separate forms to fill out and many will require a certified copy of the court order.
Warnings
If you wait to file for a name change until after the divorce is final, you may have to follow regular name change requirements and pay a hefty fee. If you are in doubt at the time of the divorce, request the court to include in its order a statement that you are entitled to use your prior name so that you can do so if you wish to but are not obligated to do so.
References
- Florida Courts: Instructions, Petition for Dissolution of Marriage With No Dependent or Minor Child(ren) or Property
- Orlando Sentinel: Women Can Regain Maiden Name Free in Divorce — or Pay $400 if They Wait
- Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles: Name Change Due to Marriage/Divorce
- Florida State Courts: Family Law Forms
- Social Security Administration: Change a Name On a Social Security Card
Resources
Writer Bio
Teo Spengler earned a JD from U.C. Berkeley Law School. As an Assistant Attorney General in Juneau, she practiced before the Alaska Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court before opening a plaintiff's personal injury practice in San Francisco. She holds both an MA and an MFA in English/writing and enjoys writing legal blogs and articles. Her work has appeared in numerous online publications including USA Today, Legal Zoom, eHow Business, Livestrong, SF Gate, Go Banking Rates, Arizona Central, Houston Chronicle, Navy Federal Credit Union, Pearson, Quicken.com, TurboTax.com, and numerous attorney websites. Spengler splits her time between the French Basque Country and Northern California.