Change of Name

You may be considering changing your name, but you have heard it can be complicated and expensive. We are pleased to tell you changing your name is a very straight forward process and is relatively inexpensive compared to changing your name by Deed Poll.

People want to change their names for many reasons, returning to your maiden name after divorce or dissolution of your civil partnership, changing your surname to the same as your partners after the birth of a child, changing your surname because you have been known by a different surname since being a child. You may have been known by a different first name or christian name since you were very young, or used a middle name as your first name.

We can assist you in changing your name simply and easily, using our change of name service. You can change your name legally and officially without the need of entering into the complicated process of Deed Poll registration.

You can change your surnames, christian and middles names or all of your known names, along with changing the spellings. Changing your name by Change of Name Deed is much simpler and cheaper than changing your name through the government's Ministry of Justice Enrolled Deed Poll and there are a number of advantages. It’s quicker, simpler and cheaper. We can provide you with the Deed within days of your enquiry. If you are living in the United Kingdom you can apply regardless of whether you are a UK citizen.

You may be surprised to know that there are no restrictions on the name you choose. This is as long as the name you choose is not intended to deceive or defraud. You may also be interested to know that you can change your first, middle and Surnames in the same document.

We offer a fixed fee price for changing a name which is £195 plus VAT (charged at 20%) for adults, and £245 plus VAT (charged at 20%) for children.

Once you have changed your name you will need to let certain providers and establishments know about your change of name. We provide you with 5 original change of name deeds, which you can use to change your name with the providers of record holders.

Although not an exhaustive list we would recommend you change your name with the following:

• DVLA
• Passport office – although your current passport will continue to be valid until it expires, however you will need to book your journey in your previous name
• Your bank/building society/mortgage provider
• Employer/college/university
• Your doctor or dentist
• Your utility providers
• Your local authority
• Insurance company
• Pension provider

The rules about changing your child's name are different to those changing the name of an adult. If you want to change your child's name, then it will depend on when your child was born and whether you were married to the child's father. If your child was born before 1st December 2003, then if you were not married to the father or did not marry the father after the child's birth, then you do not need the consent of the father to change the child's name. If this is the case then you can change the child’s name without the need for us to contact the father.

If your child was born after 1st December 2003, and the father's name is not present on the birth certificate and you did not marry the father after their birth, then you do not need the fathers consent to change the child's name.

If however, the father's name is on the birth certificate or you married the father after the child's birth, then the father has Parental Responsibility, which means we will need to obtain the fathers consent to change the child's name.

If the father will not agree to change the child's name, then you will need to make an application to the Family Court for a specific issue order. The court will then consider whether it is in the best interest of the child to change the name of the child.

If the father does agree to change your child’s name then the process is very simple, we would simply write to your child’s father at his home address and ask him to sign a form of consent. Once we had obtained his written consent, we would then make arrangements with you to sign the change of name need on behalf of your child.

The same also applies if you are the father wanting to change your child’s name, you will always need the consent of the mother to change the child’s name.

We aim to provide you with a change of name deed within only a few days of our instruction.

• You need to be over 16 years of age
• You will need to provide ID in the form of your driving licence or passport or 2 forms of ID such as council tax or utility bill and bank statement.