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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

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Original poster

Can you keep your married name after you have divorced?

36 replies

Melly · 02/08/2006 12:37

I know this is probably a really daft question but I have no diea and don't really know anyone to ask. Should have asked the solicitor but forgot!

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 02/08/2006 12:37

No, but we didn't have any children together.

Original poster

Melly · 02/08/2006 12:38

sorry, that should read no idea, can't type today.

OP posts:

Caligula · 02/08/2006 12:39

Yes

You can call yourself anything you want under English law as long as it's not for a fraudulent purpose. (And I think you're not allowed to call yourself a swearword, like Fuck McFuckity or something, but I'm not sure about that.)

Which I'm sure Blair and his bunch of control-freaks will change when they impose ID cards on us.

hulababy · 02/08/2006 12:40

Yes you can. My friend has retained her married surname, so that she and her DS have the same name.

QueenEagle · 02/08/2006 12:40

I don't know the legal implications but I know several people who have changed their name post divorce.

I even know someone who lives with a new partner and still uses her old married name but then she has got kids from that 1st marriage. Her subsequent kids with new dp have new partners name so everyone has diff names in that houselhold.

I think I am right in saying that you can call yourself by any name you wish so long as it is not in order to defraud or dupe anyone.

Pixiefish · 02/08/2006 12:41

yes you can

QueenEagle · 02/08/2006 12:41

who have not* changed their name post divorce, that should be

ditto caligula!!

quootiepie · 02/08/2006 12:44

yep, my mum did.

quootiepie · 02/08/2006 12:45

and the Mrs.

CorrieDale · 02/08/2006 12:47

Yes, you can. OT: A solicitor friend of mine did a change of name deed for somebody who wanted to be called Maximum Velocity. Think he MAY have been a born again biker. Or a nutter.

Bugsy2 · 02/08/2006 12:48

Yes, you can. I still have my married name on my passport & drivers licence.

zippitippitoes · 02/08/2006 12:48

yes I'm still mrs or ms exh even though I have been with dp for 7 years

I had the name for 20 years so was more mine than any other

Original poster

Melly · 02/08/2006 13:36

thanks for those replies. We have 2 children so I will probably keep the name just to keep things simple really, plus it's a real pain in the bum changing everything these days.

OP posts:

NotActuallyAMum · 02/08/2006 13:40

PMSL at Caligula's Fuck McFuckity

Caligula · 02/08/2006 13:54

Yes for one brief nanosecond I considered it but reluctantly rejected it...

Love Maximum Velocity though!

Pedantic · 02/08/2006 13:54

I'm going to change my name to Fanjo McBanjo

LaDiDaDi · 02/08/2006 14:14

I kept my married name when I got divorced and we had no kids. At the time it seemed like the sensible thing to do as I was changing jobs as well and if I had changed my name then people would probably have assumed that I was getting married and then I would have had to announce that I was in fact getting divorced. It just seemed easier to keep it and loads of people from that time never knew that I had been married.

Now I regret it because I still have this name that I feel associates me with my ex-h and my dd and lovely dp have a different name. Tbh I shouldn't feel associated with my ex-h as I never see him or hear from him at all but psychologically I do feel like it's his name and not really mine. My reasons for keeping it seem silly now as I couldn't care who knows that I've been divorced, after all it's no one else's business.

FioFio · 02/08/2006 14:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Caligula · 02/08/2006 14:16

LaDiDaDi, you could change it now, today, if you want. You don't have to be stuck with it if it makes you uncomfortable.

mummydear · 02/08/2006 14:30

I kept my married name after divorce as mainly everybody at work knew me by that name. No children involved. My ex hubby nwas never bothered about it and we both worked for the same organisation !

Got remarried some 6 years later.

I did howcver on my second marriage certificate have my both my previous surnames put down. So say my old married name was Bloggs and my birth name was 'Soandso'. It said Jo Bloggs also previoulsy known as Jo 'Soandso'

I did this so if any future generations were trying to trace family tree they would be able to trace me. Bizarre I know but at the time I was trying to trace my family tree. (Didn't get very far )

bloss · 02/08/2006 14:31

Message withdrawn

crazydazy · 02/08/2006 14:33

My mum kept hers as she wanted to keep the same name as her children.

crazydazy · 02/08/2006 14:33

My mum kept hers as she wanted to keep the same name as her children.

LaDiDaDi · 02/08/2006 14:41

Waiting for dp to suggest I have his. There might be a sparkly ring in it for me {wink}. I'm sooo shallow .

Caligula · 02/08/2006 14:47

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