Changing Your Name in a Divorce

A divorce judgment can contain a special paragraph restoring a party to a maiden name or giving the party another name. One can also go through Probate Court to change his or her name. See for name change document. The third way to change your name is simply to start using a new name under the common law. The only restriction being is that it not be done for a criminal purpose. The Court has acknowledged the different methods of effectuating a name change in Piotrowski v Piotrowski, 71 Mich App 213, 216; 247 NW2d 354 (1976): In Michigan, as in most states, a statute authorizes procedures by which a court can, upon petition, change the name of any person. MCL 711.1. Such change of name statutes do not abrogate or supersede the common law. To the contrary, they affirm the common law right and afford an additional method by which a name change may be effected as a matter of public record.