What’s in a name? It obviously carries a lot of weight as it represents who you are.

You could’ve been a Mrs. So-and-so for 10 years but you find yourself separated from your spouse and you embark on the next chapter in your life feeling like you are a different person.

Changing your identity back to your maiden name is fairly easy and available in most U.S. states, especially if you have a birth certificate. All you need to do is to submit a request to the judge handling your divorce and it will be done in a snap.

The only hassle you will face in this issue if you want to change your name to a completely new one. There seems to be a burgeoning trend for some women to their own names after they divorce. You will have to apply for a legal name change, which is separate from your divorce proceedings.

Most women who keep their married name do so because they want to keep a connection with their children and see it as an important element in their family identity. Others don’t budge on this issue for practical reasons — especially if your name is inextricably tied to your work or business.

You may even consider wanting to change your children’s names to your former name or your next spouse’s name, which are possible, but the court will examine if it would be in the children’s best interests. The factors for consideration are the closeness of the mother-child relationship, the degree of necessity to identify with a new family and how long the child has had the father’s name, which are balanced with the strength of the father-child relationship.

Though you can change your children’s name, the identity of their father, child support and visitation agreements will not be affected.

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