Disadvantages of Not Changing Name after Marriage and Divorce

In life, you have to make huge decisions and with every decision, there are implications. When getting married, there’s a lot of excitement that accompanies the whole affair but in the midst of all this, you have to make crucial decisions among them being changing your name after marriage. A divorce, on the other hand, is a traumatic experience and most couples want to get it over with and move on with their lives. Again, one major decision you have to make when filing for divorce is again a name change.

Getting married or divorced are major events in an individual’s life. They require a lot of adjustments and one of these important changes has to do with the name you will use afterwards. In this article, you will learn the drawbacks of retaining your name after going through any of these major phases in your life. Keep reading.

Drawbacks of keeping your name After Marriage

Marriage is a happy event and a milestone which every couple wants to share with family and friends. However, many couples encounter the first difficult decision when it comes to the name to use after marriage. In most cases, the bride drops her maiden name in favor of the spouse’s name.

There are other name change variations but the most important thing is that your name reflects your new status in marriage. While some people argue there’s no need for a name change, you will encounter some drawbacks if you choose this route. These include:

1. Complications in financial transactions: If you don’t share a last name with your partner, you will always have a hard time when signing financial documents and contracts. You will have to keep making corrections to such documents because everyone expects you to use the same surname.
2. Embarrassing moments: After marriage, you will discover that everyone in your life including family and friends will now refer you using your spouse’s name. Name change after marriage is a widely accepted tradition and you will have a hard time correcting people in conversations and when booking in and out of hotels. It is difficult for most people to contemplate the fact that you use different last names after marriage.
3. Problems with the children: Kids learn fast and within no time, they will start inquiring why you have a different surname. They expect everyone to have the same last name and you will have a lot of explanation to do.
4. Status quo is boring: After marriage, you should do something to reflect your new status and in addition to moving in together, a name change is a great decision. It helps to mark this great milestone and every time someone calls you by the new name; you will realize you have a new status.
5. Suspicion from in-laws: While you don’t owe anyone answers from your life choices, it is obvious that your in-laws expect you to change your name after marriage. Failure to do so leads to the suspicion that you are not in the marriage for the long haul.

These are only a few of the disadvantages of retaining your maiden name after marriage. Your husband will most likely expect you to change your name and society does too. To avoid too much pressure and show commitment to your partner and the marriage, changing your name after marriage is a smart move.

Drawbacks of Retaining Your Married Name After Divorce

No one gets married intending to go through a divorce. However, it is also good to appreciate that life serves up surprises which require crucial adjustments. When filing for divorce, it is advisable to include a name change request in your papers.

Keeping your married name after a divorce has many drawbacks including:

1. You don’t get a clean break: After going through a hurtful divorce, you need a clean break and dropping your married name helps to achieve this.
2. Avoid the dark memories: Using your married a name after divorce takes you back to a past you would rather forget. This is a good reason to contact a name change service after divorce to initiate the process of getting your maiden name back.
3. Complications in dating: If you plan to get remarried, the last thing you want is to carry baggage into your new relationship. Dropping your married name is a great choice if you want to start seeing other people.

A name change after marriage or divorce is a good move as it reflects your new status. While the legal name process requires a lot of your time, you can use an online name change service to expedite the process and avoid all the hassle and red tape.