If you filed your divorce complaint in Lehigh County, you may resume a prior surname (i.e. maiden name or surname used during a prior marriage) before or after the divorce decree is entered.
If you plan to file, but have not yet filed a Divorce Action in Lehigh County, you must do so in order to file the Notice to Resume Prior Surname.
In general, the Pennsylvania process of resuming a maiden name or surname used during a prior marriage is controlled by the Pennsylvania Statute, Divorcing and Divorced Person May Resume Prior Name, 54 Pa.C.S.A. § 704.
NOTE: If you plan to E-file your documents from your own PC, your browser’s default PDF reader may prevent the PDF self-help forms from being fully operational when opened and completed in the browser.
- If Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat is not your default PDF reader, make it your default PDF Reader.
- If you do not have Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader is available for download free at:
https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/pdf-reader.html
To be able to electronically sign Self-help PDF forms - Download the form to your PC,
- Open form in Adobe Reader* or Adobe Acrobat,
- Complete and electronically sign,
- Save completed form to PC and rename before uploading through E-filing system (OFS Odyssey File & Serve).
- Some self help forms may need to be printed and scanned to pdf before E-filing. If you do not have access to a scanner you will have to E-file in person at the Lehigh County Courthouse.
We recommend that you use the Resume Prior Surname Checklist.
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If you have already filed or already been granted a Divorce Decree and wish to resume a prior surname complete the following:
- Complete the following form and print one (1) copy
NOTE: If you do not have a scanner, you may have the Notice to Resume Prior Surname Notarized and E-filed at the Clerk of Judicial Records as described in Option 1.
- Take the following items to the Civil window at the Clerk of Judicial Records located in room 122 of Lehigh County Courthouse:
- Completed, but unsigned, Lehigh County Notice to Resume Prior Surname form
- Your Photo ID
- Cash or Credit/Debit Card to cover Miscellaneous filing fee, Notary fee and certified copy; no personal checks will be accepted
- Give paperwork to the Clerk
- Pay all filing fees.
NOTE: For an additional $1.00 per page conversion fee, the Civil Clerk will E-file your documents for you at the window when you pay, then you may skip the Kiosk. - Proceed to Kiosk to E-file original documents. Follow instructions from the Clerk to have your Lehigh County Notice to Resume Prior Surname notarized and filed.
- Notarized Signature
- Before E-filing you must get the Notice to Resume Prior Surname form notarized.
- Take your completed, but unsigned, Lehigh County Notice to Resume Prior Surname form to a Notary Public to have your signature notarized.
- Take your Photo ID.
- Be prepared pay that Notary a fee.
- E-filing
- For full registration and filing instructions, please review the Independent Filer Instructions and OFS Civil Guidelines documents under the Self-Help section of at https://efilepa.tylertech.cloud/OfsEfsp.
- Scan your Notarized Notice to Resume Prior Surname to .pdf
- Log into your OFS account https://efilepa.tylertech.cloud/OfsEfsp.
- Choose "File into Existing Case" from the Filer Dashboard.
- Select filing code. After selecting the filing code, you will be able to upload the scanned pdf document.
- Confirm your payment information.
- Submit the filing to the review queue.
Please contact the Clerk or Prothonotary of the county in which the divorce action was filed or the decree of divorce was entered. You must file the resumption of prior name notice in the county where your divorce is pending or your Decree was entered. Some counties may provide forms.
- Obtain a certified Copy of your Divorce Decree
- Take the following items to the Civil window at the Clerk of Judicial Records located in room 122 of Lehigh County Courthouse:
- Completed, but unsigned, Lehigh County Notice to Resume Prior Surname form
- Certified Copy of your Divorce Decree from the other state
- Your Photo ID
- Cash or Credit/Debit Card to cover Miscellaneous filing fee, Notary fee and certified copy; no personal checks will be accepted
- Pay all filing fees.
NOTE: For an additional $1.00 per page conversion fee, the Civil Clerk will E-file your documents for you at the window when you pay, then you may skip the Kiosk. - Proceed to Kiosk to E-file original documents. Follow instructions from the Clerk to have your Lehigh County Notice to Resume Prior Surname notarized and filed.
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Disclaimer
The forms and instructions that are available from this website are not a substitute for professional legal advice. Court employees cannot give you legal advice or help you fill out /complete the forms. It is your responsibility to read and complete the forms and to take required steps to file and serve the documents. If you decide to use these forms in an actual action, be prepared to spend appropriate time gathering information, completing forms and following the Rules of Court. The Court assumes no responsibility for the use of these forms and accepts no liability for actions taken by using these documents, including reliance on the instructions and/or contents. To obtain legal advice and to insure the proper use of this material, you should contact a lawyer.
If you want to obtain the service of an attorney, but do not know whom to contact, you should visit the Lehigh Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service website.
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