It seems that you've thought it through and know what you want. I would only make two suggestions. If you care about your relationship with your brothers, tell them what you plan to do before you do it. You don't need their approval, but it would be a nice gesture. Also, when surprised, people often react negatively to something that they would look on favorably if it where explained to them before hand. In your professional life, you might use both your father's surname and your new surname together for awhile, until people make the connection, then you can drop your father's name altogether. You might use "Tobus Kilpatrick Nee Englishname" on your typed signature line, the sign it "Tobus Kilpatrick" Don't forget to change your Social Security records. My grandmother was widowed and worked under married name in the 1920-30's. When she remarried in 1939, she quit working. When her second husband died in the 1980's, her survivor benefit was delayed while she dealt with changing her records.