The change of name – requirements, procedure and the children

In the event of a divorce, the married name is initially continued unchanged by both spouses. However, if desired, a divorce can also be used as an opportunity to seek a name change. This is particularly often requested in the case of contentious divorces. There are various ways to change the surname. The maiden name can be adopted again, a double name can be created from the married name and maiden name or the married name from the first marriage can be adopted again. What are the requirements and procedures, what must be considered and what about the name of the common children?

• Tip. Our guide for house and apartment: Selling real estate after divorce.

The most important at a glance:

• A change of name can be made after a divorce only if this is legally binding, i.e. if no more legal remedies against the divorce decree are possible.
• A change of name can only be made at a registry office that keeps the family register. Certain documents are necessary for this, such as the divorce decree with legal effect and an identity card or passport.
• Children can only change their surname after a divorce under certain circumstances
• The registry office charges a certification and authentication fee of 25 euros for a name change. In addition, there are the costs for the change of important documents, such as the identity card

The prerequisites – legally binding divorce

In order for a surname change to take place after a divorce, the marriage must have been legally divorced. A final divorce is when there is no longer any right of appeal against the divorce decree. To ensure this, either both spouses must waive appeals at the divorce hearing or neither spouse must appeal the divorce decree through an attorney within one month. On the divorce decree, an affixed notation of res judicata is used by the court to document that the divorce is final. In order to obtain this, the divorce decree served after the divorce must be sent to the court again with the request for the note of res judicata. Only then is the document to be considered a legally valid divorce and usable for the name change.

• A change of name can only be made after a divorce, if this is legally binding.
• A divorce is only final when there is no longer any possibility of appeal against the divorce decree.

The procedure – change of name in the registry office

The change of name can be carried out after the divorce at the respective competent registry office, as the family register is kept here. Some documents are required for this. On the one hand, the divorce decree with the final decree, an identity card or passport and, if necessary, a certified copy of the marriage register if the person concerned has moved after the marriage. If all these documents are available, the name change can be carried out directly on site. The registry office charges an amount of approx. 25 euros for the certification and authentication fee. In addition, there are costs for issuing or changing important documents, such as the identity card, passport, credit cards or driving licence.

• A change of name can only be made at a registry office which keeps the family register.
• Certain documents are required, such as the divorce decree with final decree and an identity card or passport.

The children – change of name only under certain conditions

The divorce of a marriage initially has no influence on the name of joint children. However, if the parent with whom the child lives after the divorce remarries and has further children from the second marriage, it can happen that the child from the first marriage has a different name from the rest of the family and feels excluded. In such a case, the child from the first marriage can, under certain conditions, adopt the name that the family in the second marriage uses as their married name. The child must be underage and unmarried and live with the parent who wishes to change the name. In addition, the parent must have sole custody, otherwise the other parent must agree to the name change. If the child bears the name of the other parent, he or she must also consent to a name change. If the child concerned is older than five years, he or she must also agree to the name change. If these requirements are met, there is nothing to prevent the child from changing its name.

• Children can change the surname after the divorce of parents
• However, a change of name of the children is only possible under certain conditions

Divorce – prerequisite, separation year, name change

The most important questions on the subject of name change after divorce

The topic of name changes often raises some questions. Is a name change even necessary, which name would make the most sense and is a name change even worth the effort? To make it easier for you to decide whether a name change is right for you, we answer the most important questions about name changes after divorce for you!

How much does the name change cost after divorce?

For the name change at the registry office, there are costs for the certification and authentication fee of about 25 euros. In addition, there are costs for the issue or change of documents, such as the identity card, passport or driver’s license.

How to change your name?

The name can be changed after a divorce at the registry office that keeps the family register. However, if the family has moved after the wedding, this is also possible at the registry office of the new place of residence, which sends the documents to the original registry office.

Can the children take the mother’s name?

If the joint children live with the mother after the divorce and the mother remarries, the children from the first marriage may take the married name of the mother’s second marriage.

Can I take back my birth name after the divorce?

Yes, there are several ways to change your last name after divorce. One of them is to take the birth name again or to choose a double name from the married name and the birth name.

Can children have double names?

Children cannot adopt a double name after a divorce just because one of the parents decides to adopt a double name. Changing the name of the children is only possible under certain conditions.

What is the married name?

A married name is a surname determined by both spouses and borne by all members of the family. A family name does not have to be determined at the time of marriage. The spouses can keep the names used at the time of the marriage even after the marriage.

Divorce: guide, help and tips

Divorce is complex, it’s true. But you are not alone! Many let themselves separate and in fact, a large part always finds a good solution. Only a small part ends in a quarrel. So that you can prepare well, you will find here our small guides and tips on divorce, family, money and real estate.

• Divorce: Guide

The garden design – your visit to the garden centre

What better place to create the necessary conditions for the transformation of the garden than a garden center? Hardly any place, because here you can find all things that have a connection to gardens. For example, there are gardening tools, plants and various decorative items. And what else does a garden centre have to offer? Thanks to expert staff, you have the opportunity to clarify any unanswered questions and to tackle the redesign in a sensible way.

Plants & Flowers – Enliven the garden

Plants and flowers are a must in a cosy garden. After all, it is the flowers that make sure that all eyes in the neighbourhood are on your garden. It is important to find flowers that harmonize with the decor and style of the garden. In addition, the colors of the different flowers should also work together. If you do not have a lot of experience with buying plants and flowers, it makes sense to get expert advice. Garden centres in particular have expert staff who will be happy to advise you.

The garden furniture

You have planted, decorated and designed your garden, but you are still missing the right garden furniture so that you can spend beautiful hours in your garden? The decision for the right garden furniture is particularly difficult, because there are the most different materials, styles, colors and shapes. Each material comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, which is exactly why you should look into this topic. There is an article in which we have dealt with this very topic.

Read also:

• Turn your garden into an oasis of well-being: Furniture for your garden

Garden centre Cologne: The best recommendations

You live in Cologne, would like to visit a garden center and do not know which of the many garden centers in Cologne is right for you? No problem, we have compiled the top 11 garden centres in Cologne for you. Check which garden centre you can reach best and which one meets your requirements best.

Monastery nursery Cologne

The Klostergärtnerei Köln is very popular, because it has a total of 4.6 stars. The customers rave about a good price-performance ratio, a huge selection of flowers and friendly staff. Many customers are particularly enthusiastic about the quality of the goods. There is also a café here where you can celebrate with coffee and cake after a successful purchase.

• Kölner Str. 64
  51149 Cologne
• Phone: 02203 369112700
• Monastery nursery website

Dehner Garden Center

Of course, there is also a Dehner garden centre in Cologne. The Dehner Garden Center has a large selection of flowers and plants and many other goods related to the garden. No matter what you are looking for, you are sure to find what you are looking for. Even if you just want to be inspired by the decorations in a garden centre, you have come to the right place. If you do not manage to visit the garden centre in person, you also have the option to order the goods in the online shop.

• Doctor-Gottfried-Cremer-Allee 3
  50226 Frechen
• Phone: 02234 9649450
• Dehner Garden Center Website
• Dehner Garden Center Facebook
• Dehner Garden Center Instagram
• Dehner Garden Center YouTube

Garden center Müller

If you come from the west of Cologne, the Müller garden centre could be just the thing for you. This is a rather smaller garden centre that has a pleasant atmosphere. Here you can not only get excellent advice, but you can also place an order for the design of your garden. The fact that the garden centre is a bit smaller means that the needs of each customer are taken care of very well.

• Igny Street 93-95
  50858 Cologne
• Phone: 02234 999360
• Gartencenter Müller Website

Dinger’s Garden Center Cologne

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0

• Yellowhammer path 361
  50829 Cologne
• Phone: 0221 9584730
• Dinger’s Garden Center Website
• Dinger’s Garden Center Facebook
• Dinger’s Garden Center Instagram
• Dinger’s Garden Center YouTube

Seeberger plant yard nursery B. Breuer

Rating: 4.6 / 5.0

• Oranjehof Street 20
  50769 Cologne
• Phone: 0221 709310
• Seeberger plant farm website
• Seeberger Plant Farm Facebook
• Seeberger Plant Farm Instagram

Seed Grun Cologne

Rating: 4.6 / 5.0

• Martinstrasse 6
  50667 Cologne
• Phone: 0221 2581531
• Seed Green Website

Bonsai Shop Cologne

Rating: 4.7 / 5.0

• Pond road 16E
  50827 Cologne
• Phone: 0172 2795960
• Bonsai Shop Website

Plant market Dutchman

Rating: 4.3 / 5.0

• Venloer Str. 1130
  50829 Cologne
• Phone: 0221 501128
• Plant market Holländer Website
• Plant market Dutchman Facebook
• Plant Market Dutchman Instagram

Flowers cracks

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

• Europaallee 7
  50226 Frechen
• Phone: 02234 20960
• Flowers cracks website

Garden centre Jürgl

Rating: 4.6 / 5.0

• Sürther Str. 300
  50999 Cologne
• Phone: 02236 62781
• Garden center Jürgl Website
• Garden Center Jürgl Facebook

Plants Moor

Rating: 4.1 / 5.0

• Bonner Landstrasse 100
  50996 Cologne
• Phone: 02236 66
• Plants Mohr Website

Cologne city map for directions

Garden Ideas: Designing, planting and digging

To make your garden a real eye-catcher and stand out compared to the other gardens in the neighborhood, it is important that you always have new design ideas. Since not everyone is so creative all the time, we have found three videos for you that contain design ideas for your garden that you can copy or be inspired by. There is something for everyone.

Turning materials from the trash into unique garden decorations

Huge amounts of garbage accumulate in Germany every day. For this reason, we particularly liked the impressive idea from this video. Here the garbage is used and transformed by some creativity into unique decoration. Take a look at the video, maybe you have similar garbage that you want to turn into beautiful deco. You can be sure that your decoration is unique and besides, you have done something for the environment at the same time.

Special garden ideas

Within just 12 minutes, you can learn 16 different decorating ideas through this video. So if you are interested in quick, beautiful ideas, this video could be the right thing for you. If you have children, then you can also implement these ideas together, because then the children had fun and you have new beautiful decorations for the garden.

Mediterranean accents for your garden

If you are not a fan of classic decorations and prefer something more unusual, then you should definitely be inspired by this video. You will see a video of a garden that has been given a very special charm with the help of Mediterranean accents. Adopt some of the accents and transform your garden into your own little paradise.

Divorce and pension – the facts about pension equalisation

There are many things to settle in a divorce. From custody to the division of assets to the pension equalization. The latter deals mainly with the pension that was acquired during the marriage and how this is divided fairly between the spouses.

The most important facts in a nutshell:

• In most cases, spouses acquire different levels of pension entitlements during the marriage period
• The aim of pension equalisation: to ensure that both spouses are equally well provided for in old age
• Only the entitlements acquired during the marriage period are taken into account in the pension rights adjustment.
• The period of marriage determines the amount of pension equalisation
• The longer the marriage, the higher the pension equalization
• Pension equalisation is automatically settled at the time of divorce for marriages that have lasted longer than three years. Marriages that have lasted less than three years must apply for pension equalisation.
• The spouses fill in a form giving details of the acquired pension rights.
• The court checks the figures with the pension providers after
• Waiving the pension equalization can be useful for both spouses in some cases

The principle – dividing pension entitlements

The pension entitlements are different for most married couples. This fact is due to the fact that one of the spouses has not worked for a certain period of time due to raising children, has been unemployed or has been employed in the public sector. To compensate for this difference, there is pension equalization, which is intended to ensure that both spouses have good retirement security. However, only the pension that was earned during the marriage period is taken into account. The pension earned is divided up in the divorce in such a way that both spouses leave the marriage with the same amount.

• In most cases, spouses acquire different levels of pension entitlements during the marriage period
• The pension rights adjustment provides for equally good pension security

The marriage period – relevant for the amount of the pension rights adjustment

Since only the pension entitlements that were acquired during the marriage are included in the pension rights adjustment, the marriage period is decisive for the amount of the adjustment. The marriage period runs from the beginning of the month in which the marriage was entered into until the end of the month preceding the service of the divorce petition. If the period of marriage is less than three years, no pension equalisation has to be carried out in the divorce unless one of the spouses insists on it.

Pension entitlements acquired during the separation period are also included in the pension rights adjustment. However, if the separation period is unusually long, it may be justified under certain circumstances to calculate the pension equalisation only for the period from the marriage until the separation. No pension equalization can be approved by the court only in divorces involving special misconduct. This case is when one spouse has massively threatened or injured the other.

• The period of marriage determines the amount of pension equalisation
• The longer the marriage, the higher the pension equalization
• Only the entitlements acquired during the marriage period are taken into account in the pension rights adjustment.

The practice – step by step to pension equalisation

The equalisation of pensions is automatically regulated in divorces where the marriage has lasted more than three years. The spouses receive a questionnaire in advance in which they must provide information on existing insurance policies and entitlements, state insurance numbers and disclose agreements on pension equalisation. These questionnaires are then returned to the court so that it can have the information checked with the pension provider. The various pension providers are required to provide the family court with their respective pension entitlements. The figures are then sent back to the spouses by the court so that they can check the figures and comment on the information if necessary. The pension equalisation is then determined at the divorce hearing in court.

• The pension equalisation is automatically settled at the time of divorce for marriages that have lasted longer than three years.
• The spouses fill in a form giving details of the acquired pension rights.
• The court checks the figures with the pension providers after

Pension rights adjustment – division of pensions in the event of divorce

Waiving the pension rights adjustment – useful in some cases

Depending on the individual situation, it may make sense not to have the pension equalisation settled by the court. If, for example, the costs of division are too high or if the settlement would lead to an unfair result, it is possible for the spouses to settle the settlement between themselves. If both partners agree to this, a settlement amount can be paid instead of the transfer of the entitlements or a consideration can be agreed. In the case of marriages with a marriage contract, the issue is usually settled from the outset, as the equalisation of pensions is stipulated in such contracts from the outset.

• The waiver can make sense for both spouses in some cases
• Marriages that lasted less than three years must apply for pension equalisation at the time of divorce.

The most important questions – everything about pension rights adjustment

The topic of divorce and especially pension equalization often raises many questions. Lukinski’s experts answer the most important questions on the topic of pension equalization in divorce so that you know exactly what is going on and no more questions remain unanswered.

What does pension equalisation mean in the event of divorce?

This is nothing other than the equalisation of pensions. This regulates how pension entitlements acquired during the marriage are dealt with after the marriage. The aim of pension equalisation is to ensure secure old-age provision for both spouses.

How much does a no-fault divorce cost?

The cost of a divorce depends on a number of factors. Some divorces are generally cheaper than contested ones, simply because they take less time. However, other factors include the assets of the spouses, which means that individual costs must be decided on a case-by-case basis.

What do you need for the divorce?

Whether the divorce is unanimous or contested, some documents are always needed. These documents include the marriage certificate or the family record book in the original or a certified copy, depending on the case, the birth certificates of minor children and, if available, the marriage contract or the divorce settlement agreement.

What does a divorce cost and who pays?

The amount of costs varies from divorce to divorce. The costs are generally set off against each other. So each party pays their own legal fees and half of the court costs. The exact amount of the legal costs is decided by the court and depends on various factors.

Divorce: guide, help and tips

Divorce is complex, it’s true. But you are not alone! Many let themselves separate and in fact, a large part always finds a good solution. Only a small part ends in a quarrel. So that you can prepare well, you will find here our small guides and tips on divorce, family, money and real estate.

• Divorce: Guide

Garden centre: Plants, furniture and decoration

In a garden center there are usually various different articles around the topic garden. From plants to garden furniture to decoration, everything is there. Even if you do not have a specific purchase, it can be helpful to visit a garden center. On the one hand, you can be inspired by the decoration in the garden centre and get ideas if necessary and on the other hand, if you have specific questions, you can get advice from the team.

Flowers & Plants – Revive Garden

Are you looking for suitable flowers and plants for your garden? Understandable, because only the right flowers and plants give life to the garden. Especially if they are colorful flowers, it affects the mood of those who enter the garden. Since there is a huge selection, everyone will find the right plants for their garden.

Garden furniture – beautify your stay in the garden

Garden furniture is also very important for your garden. You decide how you prefer to use your garden and buy the furniture based on this decision. Would you prefer a lounger, a Hollywood swing, a lounge or a dining table with chairs? Through the garden furniture you have the opportunity to consciously influence the atmosphere in your garden. With a lounger or lounge, for example, you automatically create a cosy atmosphere. Nevertheless, there are many other points to consider before you decide on garden furniture.

Read about this:

• Turn your garden into an oasis of well-being: Furniture for your garden

Garden decoration – The finishing touch

Your garden has the most beautiful, plants and the most beautiful garden furniture, but something is still missing? Probably it is the decoration that will give your garden the final touch. Since tastes in this area vary greatly, it is important that you get inspired to find the right decoration for you. Further down the article we have found decorating ideas to make yourself for you. So if you are particularly creative and artistic, these could be the right ideas for you.

Garden centre Mainz: The best recommendations

You live in Mainz and are looking for a good garden centre near you? No problem, because we have picked out the garden centres with the best Google ratings for you. Since there is not a huge selection of garden centres in Mainz, we have found the top 5 garden centres for you.

Mainz Garden Center

With a proud 4.6 stars, the Mainzer Garten-Center has the best Google rating compared to all other garden centres. The advice, quality and variety are convincing here. No matter with which wish you visit this garden center, the probability is high that you will leave the store satisfied. So if you come from the south of Mainz, you should definitely pay a visit to this garden centre.

• Robert-Koch-Strasse 26
  55129 Mainz
• Phone: 06131 582608
• Mainzer Garden Center Website

Dehner Garden Center

There is also a Dehner Garten-Center in Mainz, which is very popular. The overall rating is 4.3 stars. There is always a large selection of garden-related items here. If you just want to visit a garden centre for inspiration, you are also in the right place here, because the shop is always beautifuly decorated.

• Robert-Koch-Strasse 26
  55129 Mainz
• Phone: 06131 582608
• Dehner Garden Center Website

Fox Birch Farm

Rating: 3.7 / 5.0

• Johannes-Kepler-Strasse 8
  55129 Mainz
• Phone: 06131 59770
• Fuchs Birkenhof Website

Botanicum Mainz

• Riedweg 80
  55130 Mainz

BAUHAUS Website

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

You certainly already know the DIY store “BAUHAUS”. Since the DIY store is so large and diverse, there is also a garden center here, which should be well equipped. If you need to get other things for your house or apartment anyway, you could combine the two errands right away.

• Rheinallee 128
  55120 Mainz
• Phone: 06131 732280
• BAUHAUS Website

Mainz city map for directions

Garden Ideas: Turn the garden into a real eye-catcher

There are no limits to your creativity when it comes to designing your garden. Even if your tastes change completely at once, you have the opportunity to redesign everything. You can craft your ideas yourself or buy garden decorations from a store. For both options, it makes sense to visit a garden center to buy the materials you need.

Make decoration for the garden yourself

In this video you will learn 16 special decoration ideas for the garden. The best part is that you don’t have to spend a ton of money on these ideas, you can do them yourself. So if you have some artistic skills and enjoy crafting, you should definitely implement one of these ideas.

Build a raised bed yourself

“That looks great!” was the first thing you thought when you saw the picture? Then this idea could be just right for you. Here it is explained step by step how you can build such a raised bed yourself. With such a raised bed you give your garden that certain something, because few have a raised bed in their garden. As soon as the garden is entered, the eyes are automatically directed to the raised bed and therefore very special flowers should be planted there.

Inspiration for garden design

In this video there are no instructions for garden design to do yourself, but you can simply get inspired. Many images of different gardens are played one after the other, so you can consider whether you want to adopt some of these ideas for your own garden.