Legal Question in Administrative Law in Washington

Re: divorce

You can use any name you want unless your ex gets a court order preventing him from using his name.

In 1928, the Attorney General of Washington rendered a legal opinion (AGO) that I believe is still valid. (An AGO is not law but is a legal opinion by the elected Attorney General; as such it carries significant weight.) That opinion stated: "In the matter of the choice of a name for a person, it is fundamental law that any person may use any name he sees fit, provided that the use thereof is not with the intent to defraud. . . . In the matter of the choice of a name the individual has absolute liberty provided that a name is not assumed for the purpose of committing a fraud." (Quoted in AGO 1985 No. 10, which you should read, at http://www.wa.gov/ago/opinions/1985/opinion_1985_010.html)