How to Change Your Name After a Divorce in South Carolina
Though you may have wanted to take your husband’s name when you married, it can be a painful reminder of bad times to keep his name after you’ve divorced. It is for this reason that it is quite common for women to resume their maiden (or other prior) name change during or after a divorce. This article will discuss how to change your name after a divorce in South Carolina.
By far, the easiest and best way to do this is to make the request during the divorce proceedings. Taking this approach is not only the the fastest way, but it requires much less work* (by far) by the person making the request. South Carolina Code Section 20-3-180 specifically provides “The court, upon the granting of final judgment of divorce or an order of separate maintenance, may allow a party to resume a former surname or the surname of a former spouse.”
Once you receive the Divorce Decree that authorizes the name change, there are still a few things that you will need to do. For instance, you will need to contact the Social Security Office and go through their process of changing your name and updating your records. Also, the DMV will need to be informed so that you can get an updated driver’s license. You will need to notify your credit card companies, utility providers, banks, and other such companies. This process may be time consuming, but it’s critical that it be done in order to avoid unnecessary headaches and confusion down the road.
* If you choose to request a name change at any other time, including during a legal separation, after a divorce, or at any other time, there are numerous other steps that are required to be completed before the Court can consider your request for a name change.
Contact our office at (864) 598-9172 or SCFamilyLaw@offitkurman.com to schedule an initial consultation.
ABOUT J. BENJAMIN STEVENS
Ben.Stevens@offitkurman.com | 864.598.9172
Aggressive, creative, and compassionate are words Ben Stevens' colleagues freely use to describe him as a divorce and family law attorney. Mr. Stevens is a Fellow in the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and is a Board Certified Family Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is one of only two attorneys in South Carolina with those simultaneous distinctions. He has held numerous leadership positions in the AAML, and he currently serves as one of its National Vice Presidents. Mr. Stevens has a statewide practice and regularly appears all across South Carolina. His practice is focused on complex divorce and child custody cases.
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