Last names - can I keep my ex's & hypenate?

You can keep any name you want to, but it is pretty tacky. Furthermore, it's kind of disrespectful to your future husband.

Any daughters you may have will change their name when they get married, and any son's will carry on your ex's last name.

I also think it would be difficult to explain to others, much easier to say you have a different name because you remarried.

You are putting too much emphasis on your names. My mom, my sister, and I all had different last names (when I was growing up). The tie you share with your kids is biological, and emotional. That won't change because your name does. I've never known anyone to hyphenate their ex husbands with their new husbands. Most new husbands would probably be a bit offended. Just change your name to your new husband's and be happy.

Edited:

The only issue I can think of is they call you Mrs Smith since that is your son's last name instead of by your married name because they don't' know it. Other than that I have no idea what obstacles your child would face if your last name was different than his. As I said. My last name was different than my mom's, and there were no obstacles in my life because of it. If they called her Mrs. Smith instead of Jones, she would just smile and nicely correct them. Honestly it hardly ever happened anyway. Most people are very aware that a lot of mothers have different last names than their children because divorce is so prevalent today.

Obviously do what works for you and your family, I just think you are over thinking the whole last name thing is all.

I think if you're planing on taking another mans name you should let go of your exes because that not fair to your new husband. I know what you said about your children but that don't mean you love them any less because you don't have the same last name as them. If a man done you that way and wouldn't drop his exes name you would be upset.

You can, but most people see hyphenated names as pretentious and unneceessary. You really have 2 more practical options. Keep your name or take the new one. Don't add 2 names. It's just silly

You can do anything you want I guess. What do the kids and the new guy think? You will lose the tie-in of the name anyway 'cause it won't be the same.

If the only tie that you have to your kids is their dad's name, that is very sad.

That name is no longer yours, for whatever reason, you are divorced. Get on with your life.

The kids are still going to be your kids even if your name changes. You can change it if you so choose, that's really just a personal preference.

You can if you and your new husband agree, I can see some men would have an issue with that, but if you are both in agreement then you can call yourself almost anything that you like.

If you are on your second marriage lose your former spouse name and keep the new one, but if your on your first marriage you can do as I do now, I hyphen my name with my marriage name Harrington-Franklin

People make fun of it and say it's long but for business purpose I do it this way!

have you talked this over with your soon to be husband? just making a guess here, but i would think he'd want you to drop the ex's name altogether. why not consider this, hyphen the kids' last name so that they have ties to both you and their dad?