If you changed your name when you got married, and now are getting a divorce, you may be anxious to change your name back to your maiden name or another previous name you used. The easiest way to change your name in Florida is to have the issue placed in your divorce decree.
If it is, the divorce decree is your proof of the name change, and you will use it to change your driver’s license, social security card, etc.
If the name change is not in your divorce decree, contact the attorney who handled your divorce to see what can be done. If you did the divorce yourself or don’t wish to contact your attorney, contact the court in which your divorce was handled to ask if the decree can be amended to include a name change.
If it can’t, you will need to file a petition for a name change. This involves getting fingerprinted, signing a name change petition in front of a notary, and filing those documents with the Clerk of Court in your county. Later, you will attend a hearing, a judge should sign an order granting the name change, and you will personally use that paperwork to change your name on your driver’s license, your social security card, your bank, and anywhere else that you wish to change your name.
It’s much easier (and cheaper) to change your name in the divorce decree. An experienced attorney will help you with that issue, as well as many others, that could save you a great deal of time and money in the future.