Changing surname
10 January 2011, 09:30 PM
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Changing surname
Has anyone changed their surname on here recently. I wish to do it for personal reasons before my son is born in March (as I do not want him to have my current surname)... I'm not after suggestions 
but wondering is it really as easy as downloading a pdf. file on the net, printing it off and having it signed by a witness 
Seems cheap, as low as £6.95 on one site.
Whats involved afterwards? Do you need to send for a new birth certificate to send to the DVLA, passport people, banks, water company etc? really a minefield I'm trying to delve through.
TIA ladies and gents
but wondering is it really as easy as downloading a pdf. file on the net, printing it off and having it signed by a witness Seems cheap, as low as £6.95 on one site.
Whats involved afterwards? Do you need to send for a new birth certificate to send to the DVLA, passport people, banks, water company etc? really a minefield I'm trying to delve through.
TIA ladies and gents
10 January 2011, 09:50 PM
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Suspect it will be. I'm more puzzled by the legal side of it. Loking on various sites saying to download the form and then sign it seems very simple to me. Is it just a case of sending this form off to every company afterwards to tell them? Seems to easy for the UK
10 January 2011, 09:55 PM
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I changed my surname a few years ago.I went into a solicitor and it was about £20.
For this,I was given about 10 declarations issued by the solicitor-stamped "original".This had my previous name and signature and new name and signature upon it.
You are then free to use your new name,which is a bit strange at first,but after a few weeks,it seems quite natural!
The rest is just a paperwork exercise of telling everyone-I would make a list to start with and rank them in degrees of importance-ie passport,driving licence,bank,bill companies,work et al.Most of the important ones,will want one of the "original" stamped copies.Take lots of copies and keep an original stamped copy to hand at all times,to avoid any problems if you get pulled by the Police whilst driving.
Your original birth certificate will remain the same afaik as that was the name that you were born with...
Re getting it done on line-its like having a will-it can be done on-line,but to make sure that its all above board,I would have a solicitor to give it the once over,to make sure.Why not spend a little extra,get a solicitor to do it and they can answer any issues that you may have-should there be any-took me about half an hour to sort out btw!
As you can tell,I'm no expert,but hope this helps
For this,I was given about 10 declarations issued by the solicitor-stamped "original".This had my previous name and signature and new name and signature upon it.
You are then free to use your new name,which is a bit strange at first,but after a few weeks,it seems quite natural!
The rest is just a paperwork exercise of telling everyone-I would make a list to start with and rank them in degrees of importance-ie passport,driving licence,bank,bill companies,work et al.Most of the important ones,will want one of the "original" stamped copies.Take lots of copies and keep an original stamped copy to hand at all times,to avoid any problems if you get pulled by the Police whilst driving.
Your original birth certificate will remain the same afaik as that was the name that you were born with...
Re getting it done on line-its like having a will-it can be done on-line,but to make sure that its all above board,I would have a solicitor to give it the once over,to make sure.Why not spend a little extra,get a solicitor to do it and they can answer any issues that you may have-should there be any-took me about half an hour to sort out btw!
As you can tell,I'm no expert,but hope this helps
10 January 2011, 09:57 PM
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be careful - I took my daughter to have mine and her name changed by deed poll at a solicitor, paid for it got the legal docs all signed for and then found out years later my daughter is not allowed a passport in her "now" name she can only be issued with it under birth name believe me its caused hell of a lot of problems 
so make sure however you do it its done properly
so make sure however you do it its done properly
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10 January 2011, 09:58 PM
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I believe, in law, your surname is simply what you are commonly known as - nothing more
as has been stated you can not retrospectivley change your birth cirtificate
and the Deedpoll is just a convinenent admin tool -- that allows you to easily change it with regards to Banks, Utility companies etc
in essence it is the same as a wife taking a husbands surname or vica versa
good luck Mr Hardon
(for all sorts of obvious legal reason children are treated differently)
as has been stated you can not retrospectivley change your birth cirtificate
and the Deedpoll is just a convinenent admin tool -- that allows you to easily change it with regards to Banks, Utility companies etc
in essence it is the same as a wife taking a husbands surname or vica versa
good luck Mr Hardon
(for all sorts of obvious legal reason children are treated differently)
Last edited by hodgy0_2; 10 January 2011 at 10:00 PM.
10 January 2011, 10:08 PM
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be careful - I took my daughter to have mine and her name changed by deed poll at a solicitor, paid for it got the legal docs all signed for and then found out years later my daughter is not allowed a passport in her "now" name she can only be issued with it under birth name believe me its caused hell of a lot of problems so make sure however you do it its done properly
so make sure however you do it its done properly
10 January 2011, 10:18 PM
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Thanks guys. I will write a list of people who need to know. Then contact a couple of local solicitors. I was concerned that it would take weeks and cost a fortune.
Thanks for the advice and pms guys
Thanks for the advice and pms guys
10 January 2011, 10:23 PM
#16
Can you not give your new born child whichever surname you like, maiden name or married name? Is like when you get married you do not have to change your name. Might be totally wrong but worth asking the question.
10 January 2011, 10:29 PM
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I know what I wish my surname to be and me and the mrs have decided the baby will have this name when born. Then when we marry her name will change to mine and the babys. She actually wanted me to do this and I agreed as the surname I have now has no value family wise.
10 January 2011, 10:29 PM
#18
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If the child has the mothers name, and then the parents marry, the father has to do a type of legal adoption. I am not 100% though, and things might have changed now.
11 January 2011, 09:52 AM
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11 January 2011, 10:48 AM
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My step daughter changed her name via Deed Poll as well and she didn't have any problems changing her passport, just filled in a new form, sent the old passport off with a copy of the deed poll and got a new passport back, same with her driving licence.
11 January 2011, 04:54 PM
#25
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I changed my Christan name when I was 7, not legally just decided to do it, Mum was happy as my Father had registered my birth whilst she was still in hospital and she wasn't that happy with his choice went against what they had decided, we just told the school, Dr's etc I was now known as my new name.
I managed to get a passport, driving license, NI number, Bank account, married, the lot without an issue all under my assumed name, looking back god knows how I managed it because as soon as I applied for a marriage license for my 2nd wedding in Mauritius some 30 years later it became an issue, that said £27 later and a trip to the Royal Courts of Justice it was all sorted and published in the London Gazette of which they sent me a copy, very easy process.
I still wonder how on earth I managed to get everything I did in my assumed name without any official body asking questions, it took the tiny island of Mauritius to bring my double life to an end
I managed to get a passport, driving license, NI number, Bank account, married, the lot without an issue all under my assumed name, looking back god knows how I managed it because as soon as I applied for a marriage license for my 2nd wedding in Mauritius some 30 years later it became an issue, that said £27 later and a trip to the Royal Courts of Justice it was all sorted and published in the London Gazette of which they sent me a copy, very easy process.
I still wonder how on earth I managed to get everything I did in my assumed name without any official body asking questions, it took the tiny island of Mauritius to bring my double life to an end
11 January 2011, 05:00 PM
#26
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LOL, just searched my name on the London Gazette website and it came up straight away
"a British Citizen under section 11(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981 abandoned the name of ***** ****** ***** and assumed the name of Funkii Munkii"
Abandoned, sounds pretty harsh !!
"a British Citizen under section 11(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981 abandoned the name of ***** ****** ***** and assumed the name of Funkii Munkii"
Abandoned, sounds pretty harsh !!
11 January 2011, 05:45 PM
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I changed my Christan name when I was 7, not legally just decided to do it, Mum was happy as my Father had registered my birth whilst she was still in hospital and she wasn't that happy with his choice went against what they had decided, we just told the school, Dr's etc I was now known as my new name.
I managed to get a passport, driving license, NI number, Bank account, married, the lot without an issue all under my assumed name, looking back god knows how I managed it because as soon as I applied for a marriage license for my 2nd wedding in Mauritius some 30 years later it became an issue, that said £27 later and a trip to the Royal Courts of Justice it was all sorted and published in the London Gazette of which they sent me a copy, very easy process.
I still wonder how on earth I managed to get everything I did in my assumed name without any official body asking questions, it took the tiny island of Mauritius to bring my double life to an end
I managed to get a passport, driving license, NI number, Bank account, married, the lot without an issue all under my assumed name, looking back god knows how I managed it because as soon as I applied for a marriage license for my 2nd wedding in Mauritius some 30 years later it became an issue, that said £27 later and a trip to the Royal Courts of Justice it was all sorted and published in the London Gazette of which they sent me a copy, very easy process.
I still wonder how on earth I managed to get everything I did in my assumed name without any official body asking questions, it took the tiny island of Mauritius to bring my double life to an end
lol exactly what i was going to say,
do you get mail addressed to Mr Funkii
Mart
