Can I prevent my ex-wife from using my last name?

Is your first name Ronald?

You need to focus on practical matters to get through this smoothly. Don't get distracted by your natural irritation over things like this. She'll likely soon stop calling herself Starbuck and move on.

Nice to hear from you again, Mr. Wang.

You seem early in the process. If you and your wife have minor children and/or any offspring in college, autos and multiple real estate locations, you are naive if you believe your biggest problem is your current wife's last name.

Ask Donald about Ivanna, (before she passed).

You can change your surname to anything, plus she is probably legally entitled to it by virtue of the marriage. Divorce doesn't revoke it.

Work it into the settlement, which might be her real angle, even if she is entitled to share of your business assets.

You do not know what you are stating. If a man makes too much of this insignificant issue, o.p. may end up pay alimony. Your response to o.p. is exactly how men get stuck with alimony in this day and age. O.P. should not mention the name issue.

If you're already divorced you missed your chance when you went before a judge. Of course, even then you had very little chance. Your ex, on the other hand, could have dumped your name like rotten fish had she chosen to.

In the state of NJ where I was divorced, it basically was 50/60 in asset split unless you have a prenup, or you are able to come up with some other financial arrangement.

To answer your specific question, in NJ, you can seek to have it in your divorce decree that your ex not use your last name. You probably need to check this out in your state, or at least get a second legal opinion. Also, there is a divorce site where you might be able to get some input specifically about your state law. Google is your friend.

Have you lived under a rock the last few years? You can call yourself anything you want. Smith, Jones, Miller, man, woman, he/him, they/them, trans, cis (whatever the hell that is). You can be 17 again if you want. You can be a dog, cat, alligator, mongoose, or leopard. You are free to identify yourself as anyone/anything you want.

If you do not agree 100% with the above, you must be a Trumper/racist/bigot/incel/misogynist/xenophobe

Slightly off-topic, but for a wife to go by her husband's name after marriage is obsolete.

Not really. If a female has an ethnic family name and does not want to reclaim ethnic family name, a woman will keep married name. See Martha Stewart. Her birth name: Martha Helen Kostyra. It is not worth the fight for a man to attempt to get a woman to drop the name if she does not want to.

what secularism does to a mf

I get your point. But what if they both have an English name ? Or what if the husband has an exotic name ?

Your wife cheated on you because women are programmed to cheat.

she’s currently going to all the bars banging hot studs.

sorry dude

“Likely getting divorced” and you’re already thinking about suing her for keeping her legal name.

I do not see this process going well for you…

No

There are very good reasons for a woman to keep her married name. Over twenty-three years of marriage, my former wife wrote over twenty books, published a mountain of research papers that are cited endlessly by other authors, became a paid speaker in her areas of expertise, and has been recognized many times for service to her community. In higher education it isn't easy to be nationally recognized by your last name alone.

She would do herself no favors by giving up the name, which at some point is her brand as much as it is mine.

And regarding the question, no, you can't force someone to stop using "your" name. When you got married she legally changed her name and would have to legally change it again. Could you try to negotiate that she do so? Yes. But what are you willing to give up to get her to do that?

I was in a similar situation. I was in a highly visible business. My now ex wife went off the deep end. I was concerned her lifestyle would damage my business and reputation. My lawyer had it as part of the divorce agreement that my ex would change her name.

It most likely varies depending on your State.