Many partners, more commonly the woman, take on their spouse’s surname after getting married. Upon completing a divorce, some people choose to take back their maiden name. There are many motivations to do this, such as helping to regain a sense of identity as a newly single person, or something else entirely.
Here are some of the steps involved in changing a married name back after getting divorced in Virginia.
Complete an application form
There is a short form that the person seeking the change must fill out as the first step. After filling out all the required questions, they should take the form to a notary public for signing.
File the application
Next, a person must take the notarized form to the nearest circuit court office and file it with court officials. The change of name may happen immediately, or it may take a bit longer if there are any complications or follow-up questions.
Next steps
Make public offices such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and Internal Revenue Service aware of the recent change.
Exceptions
Keep in mind that, unless there is an exceptional reason, people who are on probation, in prison, or who must register with a sex crimes database are not eligible for name changes through Virginia’s name change application. There are several legal reasons for this, including to prevent a person from evading appearing in a sex offender registry search.
Knowing the steps to take to change a married name makes this one part of divorce a bit easier.
