Jump to content

Recommended Posts

DH and I are harmonizing documents, and we want to change our daughter's name. It looks like deed poll will be the most reliable way. I would love some insight from anyone who has been through this process recent-ish. There's more paperwork than I expected on the government website. And how does the declaration bit work... you have to have solicitor?

This is really helpful, thanks. Can I ask did you change your child's first name or surname? My children have my ex's surname but I would like to add mine as they identify much more with my side of the family than his. My daughter was born in Italy so wondering if this will complicate things. Also wondering about the implications for passports etc as I only just renewed their passports with their dad's surname.


DulwichBorn&Bred Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I did it for my child . It was super easy , I did

> it online ,paid something like ?10-?15 and got my

> friend who is a solicitor to sign it .

> I went via http://www.deedpoll.org.uk

You might find this info on GOV.UK useful: https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/overview.


I don't think you *need to* use a paid service to make a change by deed poll (you definitely don't for adults). You can get an updated passport by sending in a counter signed statement with the wording on the second page (https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll). I called the passport office and the person I spoke to wasn't sure, so I sent them the exploratory info from GOV.UK along with the form and that seemed to work.


Hope that helps 😀

RobMiller Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You might find this info on GOV.UK useful:

> https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/overview.

>

>

> I don't think you *need to* use a paid service to

> make a change by deed poll (you definitely don't

> for adults).


But I would still need to pay for a solicitor to sign the declaration? I don't think hubbie and I know anyone who is a solicitor, at least not personally. All our close friends do artsy stuff. In which case, is it easier to use a paid service?

I changed his first and middle name as he already has my surname . You can change any name you want , you just have to send the original deed poll plus orginal birth certificate to the passport office , GP Surgery ,Schools etc when you inform them of the name changes .


You don't need to use a paid service but for me it was easier plus it was cheap enough .

I was lucky to have a solicitor friend as my witness .


Do I need to get a solicitor to witness me sign my Deed Poll?

A: If you are British and live in the United Kingdom, your witness can be anyone so long as they are at least 18 years of age; know you and are independent of you i.e. not a relative or partner or someone living at the same address. A suitable witness would be, for example, a friend, neighbour or work colleague.


If you are British and living overseas, you will need to have the signing of your Deed Poll witnessed by a lawyer or a notary public.


If you are not British and live in the United Kingdom, you should check with your Embassy (the passport section in consular services) to ask if your Deed Poll needs to be witnessed by either a UK solicitor or a notary public. Please note, if your Deed Poll needs to be legalised with an Apostille, it will need to be witnessed by a UK solicitor or a notary public. See the answer to Q31 below for further information about legalising your Deed Poll.


http://www.deedpoll.org.uk/OtherFAQs.html

Just to sound a word of caution, if you want to change the surname by which a child is known, you need permission from anyone with parental responsibility for the child. Otherwise you need permission from the court.

This is dealt with in sections 8 and 13 of the Children Act 1989.

As long as you have permission, it is straightforward.

If you do the change through a solicitor, get certified copies of the deed as these will come in handy for future change of documents.

  • 11 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Thank you to everyone who has already shared their thoughts on this. Dawson Heights Estate in the 1980s, while not as infamous as some other estates, did have its share of anti-social behaviour and petty crime. My brother often used the estate as a shortcut when coming home from his girlfriend’s house, despite my parents warning him many times to avoid it. Policing during that era had a distinctly “tough on crime” approach. Teenagers, particularly those from working-class areas or minority communities, were routinely stopped, questioned, and in some cases, physically handled for minor infractions like loitering, skateboarding, or underage drinking. Respect for authority wasn’t just expected—it was demanded. Talking back to a police officer could escalate a situation very quickly, often with harsh consequences. This was a very different time. There were no body cameras, dash cams, or social media to hold anyone accountable or to provide a record of encounters. Policing was far more physical and immediate, with few technological safeguards to check officer behaviour. My brother wasn’t known to the police. He held a full-time job at the Army and Navy store in Lewisham and had recently been accepted into the army. Yet, on that night, he ran—not because he was guilty of anything—but because he knew exactly what would happen if he were caught on an estate late at night with a group of other boys. He was scared, and rightfully so.
    • I'm sure many people would look to see if someone needed help, and if so would do something about it, and at least phone the police if necessary if they didn't feel confident helping directly. At least I hope so. I'm sorry you don't feel safe, but surely ED isn't any less safe than most places. It's hardly a hotbed of crime, it's just that people don't post on here if nothing has happened! And before that, there were no highwaymen,  or any murders at all .... In what way exactly have we become "a soft apologetic society", whatever that means?
    • Unless you're 5 years old or have been living in a cave for several decades you can't be for real. I don't believe that you're genuinely confused by this, no one who has access to newspapers, the tv news, the internet would ask this. Either you're an infant, or have recently woken up from a coma after decades, or you're a supercilious tw*t
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...