Name Change After or During a Divorce Case

You can change your name as part of your divorce if:

• Your divorce case is in California
• You are going back to a former legal name (like your birth name)

You can do this when you finish your divorce (when you finish your divorce) or even years after your divorce was final (after your divorce). 

If your divorce was outside California: Contact the court that ordered your divorce. Find out if they have a simple process for you to change your name in that divorce case even if you no longer live in that state. If not, you may need to start a name change case.
If you don't want to go back to a former name: You will need to start a name change case. You can only go back to a former name in a divorce case.