legal last name

[ourfam09]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? sd
Can a person legally use the last name for her first marriage when she has been married and divorced twice since then?

 

[ecmst12]

A person can use any name they like.

 

[LdiJ]

A person can use any name they like.

That's not quite right. A person can legally change their last name to just about anything they want. Simply "using" a last name, that is not your legal last name, can be a criminal offense sometimes.

 

[FlyingRon]

A woman these days is not required to adopt the husband's last name when they marry, though the marriage certificate is authority to do so. When a divorce occurs, barring some agreement to do so, she is not required to give up using the ex's name.

So yes, she can keep using Husband #1's name forever if she likes no matter how many times she's married or divorced. She's not compelled to change it. The only issue is that if she does start using a new name (like one of the subsequent husbands), it's likely to take a court order to go back to a previous one officially.