When a woman and a man divorce, why don't the woman change her last name back to the original name she had?

Question

I know a few people that kept the last name of the ex. Isn't that crazy?

In the case to where you don't have any kids and you hate the man for whatever reason that caused you and him to divorce, I don't see a reason in keeping the last name of his.

Answer 1

Because it's a lot of hussle. Your SSN will have to be changed, your DL will have to be changed, your credit cards, debit cards, saving accounts, etc. Most people don't have time for all that. Especially when you always think that probably will get re-married soon, and then will have to do all that stuff anyway.

Answer 2

It all comes down to choice. Some women may chose to go back to thier maiden name in an attempt to erase a bad marriage, or some women may choose to keep the married name to remember the good things about the marriage. For others, its a status thing - a married name proves you have been their, and know what life choices about marriage mean. Or, in a lot of cases, many may figure that eventually they will marry again and assume their new hubby's name, so there is no real reason to change back to their maiden name. Choosing whether to go back to a maiden name or keep the married one is a matter of personal choice for each woman. She knows why she made her choice. If you have an ex that made a choice that confuses you, ask her why.

Answer 3

No, it isn't crazy. It's hard enough to change all of your info for when you get married, it's just as hard, if not harder to change it all back after you are done. Also, a lot of women have children with their ex's, and it makes things easier if they keep their married name. It can cause problems amoung their children's peers, it can cause problems at schools when trying to deal with officials on the school board about your children, it can cause problems at hospital waiting rooms if there are forms you have to sign, and the lists go on. Sometimes it's just easier when going through all the pain and sorrows of divorce to just leave the unneeded paperwork out of the way.

Answer 4

At the beginning of my divorce I wanted to keep my married name for my kid's sake, but as the divorce proceeded my ex kept complaining to anyone, that would listen, that I was sure to disgrace his name. Midway thru, I put in for a name change...what's crazy is, he was upset that I did that!!!
Oh well...
And, speaking from experience, it was hard on the kids & myself (mostly during their elementary years) to always explain why we had different last names.
Now that my kids are in their 20's, I'm glad that I did it. However, I would advise anyone thinking about doing it to wait till the kids are a bit older & able to understand the situation.

Answer 5

A woman has the choice to keep her married name or go back to her maiden name. There are various reason for keeping a married name, children, professional, or maybe just because they have had the married name for so long they have become used to it.

Answer 6

Maybe they like that name better ie keeping Jones if they were Plodnotsky before LOL..there are many reasons...it's cheaper, it's easier, it holds some power (ie no one would know who the woman was if her name changed back), if you're a professional, everyone would know your personal business and that you divorced if you changed it, etc. etc.

Answer 7

I kept my first husbands name because my son was young. I then had a brief second marriage and I'm going back to my first husband's name. Seems weird but everyone knows me as that name and I've had that name much longer than my maiden name.

Answer 8

if you have kids it is sooooooooooo confusing to everyone to have diffrent last names than them expecially people might think you had kids out of wedlock because of the diffrent last names,gosh people go through all that crap to get a divorce and then on top of that lose your idenity too because evryone knows you with last name,it is hard.

Answer 9

first, if there are children it is easier to keep the same name and not cause confusion with school papers and such.

Second, it is a pain in the rear to have to go though everything to change your name.

Answer 10

Some have kids and they would like to have the same name as them.