The paralegal who asked if I wanted to keep my ex's last name, totally deadpan

At my final court hearing in Austin, the paralegal handed me the paperwork and asked if I wanted to keep or drop the name, like it was a toppings choice at a taco truck. I stared at her for a solid five seconds and said, "Ma'am, I'd rather go back to my maiden name and my dad's bad jokes." She didn't laugh, just wrote "restore" on the form, and I've never felt more judged in my life. Has anyone else gotten a weirdly casual question like that during the boring legal stuff?

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nelson.wren12d ago

The taco truck comparison is spot on, that's exactly how those legal folks make everything sound. I got asked if I wanted to keep my married name when I picked up a copy of the decree, like it was a side of guac or extra salsa. The lady at the counter just blinked at me when I laughed, not a single crack in her face. It's wild how they deal with these huge life moments all day, so to them it really is just another checkbox. Dad's bad jokes beat a courtroom vibe any day, at least those are supposed to be painful.