Man Orders Ex-Wife To Revert To Maiden Name After Fiancée Expresses Discomfort Over Sharing Surname With Her

“I also told him I don’t want to have a different last name than our kids.”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• April 26, 2024

When our narrator (Original Poster) met her husband seventeen years ago, they were young, and carefree, and the world was at their feet. Twelve years and three amazing kids later, they amicably parted ways, citing the classic "we grew apart" reason. 

It had been five years of riding solo, and things were going well. OP’s ex-husband even had a new woman in his life. She was fourteen years younger, but that’s not what we’re here to dissect today.

You see, when the big split happened, OP and her ex promised the kids would always come first. But when his twenty-four-year-old belle strutted onto the scene, everything changed.

There's no point mincing words; OP’s kids didn’t like her. She turned their dad into a different person, and they hated that. 

OP did try to remain cordial with her despite all these, but according to her ex-husband’s shiny new girlfriend, OP had a “resting b*tch face,” which was highly intimidating.

As if the drama wasn’t thick enough, the couple sprung an engagement announcement on everyone during Christmas. The kids weren’t pleased. He didn’t even bother discussing such a huge step with either of them!

To add salt to the wound, OP’s ex pulled out a decree: within a year, she must shed his last name. Why? Well, his new fiancée shivered at the thought of sharing surnames with her.

OP reminded him of their divorce agreement, which clearly stated she could keep his last name. She wasn’t too keen on having a different last name than her kids either. 

Her husband slammed her as unreasonable, and they escalated the matter to the court of public opinion to gain unbiased insights.

So, dear readers, who’s the true antagonist in this tale?

The story in detail

A bit of background

OP’s ex is demanding that she change her last name back to her maiden name. However, OP doesn’t want to have a different last name from their kids

We gathered some reactions from the Reddit community:

“If she does not want to share a name. . . hubby can change his last name to match her.”

This Redditor had a similar experience in their family

“NTA. It’s not his name anymore; it’s your name. If his fiancé doesn’t want to have the same last name as you, that’s fine.”

“Stick to your guns, you sacrificed YOUR name when making a family with him.”

“What did I just read?! You NEVER have to change your last name in divorce.”

“There's nothing anybody can or should do about your name. Keep it and hold your head high.”

“GF is just looking for opportunities to drive a wedge between you and the ex and he's playing into her hands.”

“NTA Neither your ex or his fiancé have the right to dictate what name you use.”

Redditors overwhelmingly supported OP’s stance on keeping the last name. Kids or no kids, the name change process was a hassle—that was a fact everyone agreed on.

If OP’s ex was adamant about the name issue, one wise user suggested he adopt his fiancé’s name instead. Simple!

Do you agree with this verdict? Let us know in the comments.

Jesse