any suggestions?
 

big day to be here soon- I am filing for divorce. My question is--i really can't stand to have his name anymore-although my kids will- and just as bad is i can't bear to use my maiden name either!!!!!

i'm thinking about just changing it to smith. whad'dya think?

I assume you can change you last name to anything you wish - for a fee. However, to revert to your maiden name is free. Why would you choose any name other than your maiden name? It would still be different from your children's last name.

I have no experience in this myself but what my mom did when she filed 28 years ago was take back her maiden name - married name so when it came to her personal business she used her maiden name & when it came to offical kid business she used her married name.

What is so wrong with your maiden name?

I may have not made that very clear
example

Jones-Smith
Jones was her maiden name
Smith was her married name

Hmmmm....Escape Artist Smith! Well, it's certainly different LOL!

Too plain. Change it to AlaKAZAM!!! (including the exclamation points and capitalization). Seriously ... do it! Please! Lol :)

Actually Smith sounds just fine. You'll be in lots of good company.

i like that idea WantsOut!

i can't stand my maiden name because as far as i am concerned, i do not want to have any association with that one either as i have just as much of a negative feeling about my alcoholic father as i do my AH. My mother is dead- so there is not much sentiment or pride in having it. i'd rather not have any association with it.

there are a couple local names that i like, but that may be too weird for those who allready have the name. so smith is very vanilla and i might enjoy it. heck nowadays when someone asks me my name i can hardly choke out the last one!

I'm in the same boat. I don't want to use my married name anymore!
I'm ok with going back to my maiden, though.
From the information I have gathered we can go back to our maiden name (or anyname, for that matter) at anytime...for a FEE. You have to apply for a name change through the gov't agency that handles that process.
But we can go back to our maiden name for FREE once the divorce is final.
So I am waiting for that, as I do not want to pay.

I think you should pick whatever name makes you feel good and proud!

You could do like Prince, and change it to a symbol. How about a peace sign?

The Artist Formerly Known as "Escape" ... something like that?

I know someone whose friend changed her name from something somewhat common and "nice" like "Susan Smith" to something, also common and nice, like "Claire Hanford" - no family significance or anything deep, she just didn't feel like a Susan Smith anymore. She had been married for 15+ years and had a profession and everything - people all just had to start calling her by her new name - still has the same job and the same husband, and about 7 years with her new name now.

Soooo... I guess that means if she can do it, you can too!

I've always kept my maiden name, thru 2 divorces, that is who I am...choose whatever name suits you, your personality...

This is me speaking, I never have understood why a woman takes her hubby's name....he doesn't change his....never got that.

Me neither dollydo - but this has been interesting - hope it helped you escape artist!