Is it too Late to Restore My Maiden Name in Florida?

In Florida, as in most other jurisdictions, women can restore their maiden name as part of the divorce process.  However, for a lot of reasons, many women keep their married name.

Sometimes it is so they can maintain the same last name as their minor children, making it easier to communicate with school and healthcare officials.  Sometimes it is related to their employment, and they do not want to disrupt an earned reputation by altering their name.  And sometimes it is because they simply did not know they had the option to restore their name in divorce proceedings.

So, after divorce, is it too late to restore a maiden name?

Fortunately, the answer is no, and women can file an action to restore their maiden name under Florida’s Name Change Statute (Fla. Stat. s. 68.07).

What is more, unlike people who wish to change to a completely new name, women (or men) who wish to restore a former name are not required to get fingerprints taken or go through a background check via the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

If you have questions regarding changing or restoring your legal name in Florida, schedule a consultation with Family Diplomacy: A Collaborative Law Firm at (813) 443-0615 or by filling out our contact form.