When you file for divorce one of the choices you will be able to make is whether or not you want to go back to your former name. This is part of the divorce petition (FL–100) and you simply indicate that you would like the court to order that your maiden name be restored.
What is nice about this is that you won’t have to go through a legal name change process down the road if you later decide to go back to your former name.
And keep in mind that you don’t have to change your name the minute the divorce becomes final. You could hold on and say wait until your children are grown and out of school to do so. Just make sure to keep a copy of your judgment so when you are ready to change your name you have the necessary paperwork to do so.
Also, I wrote about the changing your name with Social Security and the possibility that they might require a certified copy. If you are going to wait to do the name change for several years and know you will most likely change your name down the road, it would be a good idea to get a certified copy now before your case sits to long and is placed in archives.