In California, a guy is attempting to take his fiance's last name once they get married. Mike Buday wants to take his future wife's last name to become Mike Bijon. Apparently it is a long, expensive and burdensome process to take your wife's last name. Of course, it isn't anything but a 5 minute trip to the justice of the peace to take your husband's last name. Granted, if my last name were Buday, I'd want to change my name as well.When I was with ML what seems like ages ago, we had this discussion. It centered around whether she would take my last name if we got married. She insisted that she wanted to keep her last name (in her case, I honestly wonder if it wasn't more a case of just not wanting anyone to know she was married rather than the convenience of changing licenses, stationary, etc. that professionals that get married face). I never once insisted she take mine.
Then she asked why I wouldn't take her last name. I simply replied that I was proud of my last name and that I was happy with it. She said that now I understood why she didn't want to take mine.
That left me wondering why legally it is so much harder for a man to take his wife's last name. I can't imagine a sound legal basis for this. I know that in the past, a wife was considered a man's property and so on. But in this modern age, one has to wonder why hasn't the law caught to resemble what is now a firmly held belief in American society: that no one is another's property.
6 comments:
I would keep my last name because I don't want to change my domain name and e-mail address. Also, I kinda like my last name.
Unless it was a really cool last name, like Rockefeller. Then maybe I would consider it.
I think the whole taking another last name is vile. OK, vile is a little strong, but you get the picture.
When my husband (who's from French Canada) and I got married in the US, I took his name, reluctantly. We talked about it and I decided that if it meant THAT much to him, I'd do it.
But I didn't like it.
When we moved back to French Canada, much to my delight, I HAD to change my last name back to my maiden name. There's some screwy law here that says women married after 19-whatever year it was must keep their maiden names.
A LAW.
Can you believe how absurd that is?
Anyways, I happily took my maiden name back and that's all that counts.
:)
I read an article about this. Something like only five states have laws allowing a husband to take a wife's last name. Among the states are GA and Mass.
I like my initials: MMMM. I need to marry someone who has the M lsat name.
Lindsay-
I think my last name is pretty cool!! You could always have that one, baby ;)
TRM-
Interesting! You got your name back ... hell, it was illegal for you not to take back your last name. You're quite the model citizen there!
Chelle-
You'll have to send me that link to that article. I can't believe GA is one of those states!
I can see your profile if you use Match.com. Your ideal mate must have a last name starting with M.
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