I took my husband's name when I married, but now we're getting divorced and I'd like to return to my former name. How do I do that?
In Illinois, you can request that the judge handling your divorce make a formal order restoring your former or birth name. If your divorce decree contains such an order, that's all the paperwork you'll need. You'll probably want to get certified copies of the order as proof of the name change -- check with the court clerk for details. Once you have the necessary documentation, you can use it to have your name changed on your identification and personal records.

If your divorce papers don't show your name change, you can still resume your former name without much fuss. In most states, you can simply begin using your former name consistently, and have it changed on all your personal records. If you're returning to a name you had before marriage, you're not likely to be hassled about the change.

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1. Who else do I need to inform if I change my name?
2. What state law governs Name Changes in Illinois?
3. I just don't like my birth name and I want to change it. Can I choose any name I want?
4. Do I have to file forms in court to change my birth name?
5. How do I implement my name change?
6. I'm a woman who is planning to be married soon. Do I have to take my husband's name?
7. Can my husband and I both change our names to a hyphenated version of our two names or to a brand new name?
8. What if I do want to take my husband's name? How do I make the change?
9. I took my husband's name when I married, but now we're getting divorced and I'd like to return to my former name. How do I do that?
10. After my husband and I are divorced and I return to my former name, can I change the last name of my children as well?