A Simple Change of Name
A married woman often wants to continue using her maiden name; she may, for example, have established a useful professional reputation under that name. Using a maiden name is perfectly legal. I know this to be true because I have witnessed how a friend of mine who was able to legalize her maiden name with the help of criminal defense attorneys in Los Angeles. The attorneys said that anyone can use any name he or she wants, so long as there is no intent of fraud. You could not for example use the name of a well-known person in order to borrow money.
