Should you change your name after divorce? The work perspective
Adrienne Fuller > 301 redirect > Adrienne Kmetz.
I legally changed my name last summer — an SEO's nightmare? It took 9 weeks and $450 to complete over 30 tasks. Read on to get the full breakdown of this time and cost.
I am still dealing with a little bit of straggler stuff, but it’s worth it to me to truly love every part of my name.
Do I recommend you do it? Get a coin. If it’s heads, you’re doing it. If it’s tails, don’t. Flip it in the air and let it drop. Don’t look at it. While you were watching it fly through the air, what were you secretly wishing it would land on? What did your heart say? Do that.
No ragrets, y’all
Let's talk about what nobody tells you when you're considering a name change mid-career. It's not just about paperwork and awkward re-introductions at work. For many of us, it’s a long, expensive, bureaucratic experience, that we must do alone — when we’re still not really sure how we’re doing.
Such a pure example (chefs kiss!) of women’s emotional labor, that’s difficult for others to empathize with or understand, unless they go through it themselves.
Because: it can be deeply emotional, reopen scars, make us feel vulnerable, question ourselves and our decisions, bring up all that bullshit (you know what I’m talking about). It’s also a ton of work and expensive.
But I promise you, that if you choose to go through with it, you will be guaranteed to end up with something that is 100% yours, no matter what it is.
I’m sharing how I did it so you can preserve your digital footprint while stepping into your new (or old!) identity.
Your professional identity can change and that’s ok
What’s in a name — at work? It's your bylines, your conference speaker bios, your client relationships. Take stock of where your name appears professionally and the reputation you’ve built, before making the leap.
Consider your industry recognition, and how much of your expertise is tied to your current name.
If you built a personal brand on this name, you can choose to either own and leverage the name change, or leave it undisturbed.
How much of your industry relies on reputation. Doctors and lawyers tend not to change their name in the first place. If you’ve achieved significant accomplishments since getting married, you might want to consider that as well. when I say significant accomplishments, I mean like played in an orchestra, have done art shows, have won awards, been published in peer reviewed journals, or any other situation where a significant piece of your reputation is tied to an accomplishment.
Some of my colleagues chose to keep their married names professionally while using their new names personally.
I chose to change it because…
My ex got remarried only 3 years later. I discovered it on facebook. After my heart lept straight out of my throat, I decided all three of us didn’t need to share the same surname. I decided right then I was going to change it back to my maiden name. I immediately opened a new tab and started researching what to do.
My maiden name is way cooler. KMETZ. It has a silent K and a Z! Much harder to pronounce and I do love having to spell it out for folks.
My identity was all fucked up. My ex is remarried already, I’ve had his name for almost my entire adulthood, almost half my life… What would it feel like to go back to the “old” me but in a new chapter? That duality has been a fun even if clunky place to explore, and getting rid of his name was the first step toward becoming more myself.
Screw the SEO impact, the Internet is fake and my name is me, it’s mine, it’s real, it has meaning, and it’s forever. My old name still appears in various places across the web. There is a lot more testing and fun experimentation I could do with this, but for now, it’s done, dusted, and buried.
Prepare for at least 24 hours of work
Think of your name change like a product launch or rebrand. Make an entire list of what to do first and how much it’s all going to cost.
For me, it took 27 hours, 9 weeks, and $450. Individually, everything cost between $20 and $125 to complete.
Tips before starting
Get a folder to put your documents in, because you’ll be bringing these things to places and you never know when you might need to leave a copy of something.
Track it in a Google doc. Here, use this one: Get the template for tracking your legal name change:
Process for changing your name
To begin, find your county website and search for the required forms for a “name change petition”. Download, fill out, and bring the paperwork necessary to the address they indicate on their website. Or do it online if they offer that, but they’ll likely require you to bring it in person.
Make copies of everything, including the forms, your marriage license, your passport, and driver’s license.
If your petition is accepted, you’ll likely have to go back to the clerk to get instructions on what to do next. You may be required to take out 3 weeks of ads in a local paper to fulfill the legal disclosure obligation.
Once the last ad runs, you can go back to the county clerk to schedule your decree hearing. Bring printed copies of the ads with the dates visible on them.
On the day of the hearing, the judge will already have notes on your case and unless your situation is unusual, you are likely to be approved and won’t have to say much besides answer a few questions like why you want to do it. The judge signs the decree, the document is notarized and your copy of the decree becomes your proof that your name change is legal. Get 2 notarized copies of this document because you’ll need to send it through the mail to get your passport. For me, the first copy was free and the second notarized copy was $20.
With new decree, your old Social Security card, and old license in hand, head to your Social Security Office first to register for a new Social Security card. Bring your passport just in case.
You can’t get a new driver’s license without the new SS card, and you can’t change many official documents without the license, so now you’ll wait until the SS comes. For me it took about 2 weeks.
Your new SS card, old license, old passport, and the decree, allows you to get a new driver’s license. Go ahead and schedule your DMV appointment because unfortunately you can’t do this part online. Be prepared to take new photos.
After your new license comes, you can now apply for a passport. You won’t be able to do it online, but get started there and print the application documents. You will need to send it with one of your notarized copies of the decree.
Upload a copy of your new license and decree to a safe folder on your computer so you can send attachments online, which will be required by your bank.
You can now contact your banks and insurance carriers to start the process of changing your names on your official bank and insurance records. Because there was a Wells Fargo in my area, I had to bring my documentation into their local branch. For Chase which does not have a branch within 50 miles, and other digital banks I use like Novo, I could do it online by uploading the digital copies.
Get your new credit cards first, so that you can now change everything else that requires new payment methods.
Don’t forget your will and trust and any other legal documents or policies.
Next, go down the line of importance: Your core professional documents — licenses, certifications, and legal paperwork like your W2. Notify HR.
Doctor’s offices, dentist, pharmacy, health insurance.
Your spouse and children’s records of all the same. Be sure to update all emergency contact information.
Online accounts, streaming, memberships, associations.
Your website and domain. Have a plan for your site migration if it already exists. Be sure to keep your old domain, and follow a 301 redirect plan from your old webpages to your new ones. You might have gotten some links from other publications, and they’ll break if you get rid of the old domain. It’s $20 a year — I’ll likely pay for it for a few more years and then let it go.
Change your email signature, and From: name. Remember there is an additional section in Gmail called “Legal name” which is different than From: name. Do both to make sure both change.
Zoom name, Slack, all work-facing SaaS programs and your Work email and signature. This is where people start to see it in public — ready?
Then move to your public-facing social media profiles and client communications. I didn’t send some awkward announcement — just started changing account names and documents until I got to the last one.
I put “nee LastName” in my Linkedin profile to indicate that my new name is in fact new and you may recognize me by another name. I left this up for 6 months.
When folks ask, say whatever you feel comfortable saying. “Please use First Name Last Name” is perfectly fine to indicate that you want to be referred to that way at work and on documents. You don’t owe anyone an explanation or story, though I tend to give one because it’s a part of my life that gives more context to who I am.
Enjoy the new chapter!
Welcoming the next chapter
Remember: Your reputation isn't built on your name alone — it's built on your work, relationships, and impact. A name change doesn't erase that history; it just adds a new chapter to your story. Celebrate what you’ve accomplished and step proudly into your new era.
Beyond the visible changes, there's behind-the-scenes work to maintain your professional presence. Set up email forwards, update your website's SEO, and ensure your old name redirects to your new profiles if you are creating new ones.
Just like when you got married, it might feel like once it’s done, you’ve crossed some kind of threshhold where you can never go back. For me it was freeing, reaffirming, and confidence-boosting. I hope it is for you too. -Adrienne
How it feels to change your name after divorce
Be organized, thorough, and patient
Your professional network will adjust, search engines will catch up, and eventually, your new name will feel as natural as your old one did.
And for those wondering about the SEO impact?
Yes, it's a temporary hit to your SEO
If you’re in editorial with significant bylines and bodies of work to your old name, you’ll want to discuss the impact with an SEO. In my particular case, my new legal name was now available as a domain, so I was already going to have to deal with a 301 migration. I kind of fancied the idea of starting from scratch because now I can be intentional about creating my digital garden.
A few months later, and I’m pleased with the way that my old name feels even more like the new me.
You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You only have to consult with yourself on this one.
