1. What is a Deed Poll?
A Deed Poll is a legal document
which enables you to change your name.
2. Can anyone change their name?
Anyone over the age of 16 can change
their name (it is a criminal offence to change your name for fraudulent
purposes).
3. Is it only my surname that can be changed?
No. Any part of your
name can be changed. You can also add names or remove names you
do not like and you can add a hyphen to make a double barrelled
name.
4. Are there any names you will not accept?
Although it is not illegal
to use titles as part of your name (e.g. lord sir etc) we at The
Deed Poll Company do not offer this service.
We do not accept any names that are offensive or blasphemous (if
you make an application that we consider to be unsuitable we will
refund your money minus a small administration charge. If in doubt
email us first.)
If you wish to obtain a Deed Poll just for fun using a humorous
name which you do not intend to instigate we will be happy to do
this for you but please contact us first.
5. What happens when I receive the Deed Poll?
When you receive the
Deed Poll you must sign it and have that signature witnessed. The
witness can be anyone over the age of 18 but we would advise you
ask someone who is not a close relative and who lives at a different
address. A neighbour, friend work colleague is fine. Once the Deed
Poll is signed and witnessed it becomes a legal document. You should
then take photocopies to send to everyone who needs to know of
your change of name. You may sometimes be required to send the
original Deed Poll for example for the Passport Office. If the
Deed Poll is lost in the post we will replace it free of charge
(see section on certified copies).
6. How long does it take to get my Deed Poll?
When we receive your
application we can usually send out the Deed Poll within a couple
of days. If you have not heard from us within 5 days you should
let us know.
7. What do I do if there is a mistake on
the Deed Poll?
Our Deed Polls
are checked carefully before they are sent out but occasionally
mistakes occur. Let us know and we will send out a corrected Deed
Poll immediately. Sometimes it is the customer who makes a mistake
on their application which results in the Deed Poll containing
the wrong information. If this happens we will replace the Deed
Poll (but please notify us immediately).
8. Are your Deed Polls accepted by Government
Departments?
We guarantee
that all Government departments accept our Deed Polls. You can
use the Deed Poll to change your Passport, driving licence etc
We would advise that you get these official documents changed first.
9. Do I need a solicitor?
No. Despite popular belief it is not necessary
for a solicitor to draw up the Deed Poll nor is it necessary for
a solicitor to witness the Deed Poll. A solicitor will charge much
more to prepare a Deed Poll.
10. Can I change my child’s name?
This depends on the situation
a. When mother never married to father
If the mother was never married to the father, the fathers consent is not required
(unless the father has obtained parental responsibility) and the mother can
apply for a Deed Poll for her child. In which she declares that the child
will in future be known by another name. All official documentation can then
be changed by production of this document. (If the child's birth certificate
was issued after 1/12/03 please see question
11.)
b. When mother was at some
time married to the father
If the mother was married to the father consent will be required from him before
the child's name can be changed It is the responsibility of the applicant to
confirm that consent has been obtained. The consent from the father should
be in writing although it is not necessary for this written consent to be sent
to us. If consent from the father is refused or if you are unable to contact
the father and it is in the child's best interests for the name to be changed
it is possible to apply to the local County Court for an Order for the name
to be changed. You will need to contact the Court and obtain form C1. The Court
Clerks will be happy to assist with this. A date for a hearing will be made
and at the hearing the Judge will look at all the circumstances and decide
on the merits of the application. In cases where the child has very little
contact with the father an order will invariably be made and an application
for a Deed Poll can then be made.
11. The father of my child is named on the
birth certificate; can I still change my child’s name?
Since 1st December 2003 unmarried fathers acquire Parental Responsibility
if they are present to register as the child's father at the Registry
Office and their name is put on the child's birth certificate.
Having automatic parental responsibility means that the father of
the child should give his consent before the child’s name can
be changed. At present the passport office have stated that they
are still willing to accept deed polls for children if the mother
was not married to the father even if the father has not given his
consent
If your child’s birth was registered after 1st December 2003
and the child’s father is named on the birth certificate we
would advise you to try and obtain his consent for the change of
name. If you have contacted him and he is unwilling to give his consent
we would advise you not to proceed without first obtaining a court
order.
If you have no contact with the father and wish to go ahead with the change of name we will issue the Deed Poll for you but cannot accept responsibility for non-acceptance due to lack of consent from the father.
If you have any concerns regarding these changes in the law please
contact us for further guidance.
If the father is named on the birth certificate
prior to 1st December 2003 he does not automatically have parental
responsibility and no consent is required.
12. How old do I have
to be to change my name?
You must be 16 to change
your name.
13. Can I get
certified copies?
We do not do certified copies. It would
mean that the signed Deed Poll would have to be returned to us.
We have found that most companies, organisations etc are happy
to see a photocopy of the Deed Poll. If you are asked to produce
the original Deed Poll and it is lost we will replace it free of
charge but we can send you extra original copies (see 14 below).
14. Can I get
extra copies?
Extra original copies are available for only £1 each if you order
them with your application. When you have completed the application
form and go to the shopping basket click on 'Products' and complete
the box with the number of copies labeled 'Additional original copies
of Deed Poll' (Ignore the Adult or Child Deed Poll boxes)
. Click on Add to Cart. This will add the additional original copies
to your shopping basket with your original Deed Poll.
15. What happens if
I live abroad?
If you are British citizen living
abroad we can still prepare the Deed Poll for you and will be
happy to send it either to an address abroad or to an address in
the UK (we do not charge any extra for the postage) If you do not
hold a British passport we would advise you to contact your passport
office and ask whether they would be willing to accept a Deed
Poll issued in the UK. If you have an Irish passport we are informed
that the passport office will only accept our deed polls if the
signature is witnessed by a solicitor.
16. Can I contact you?
We respond quickly to email enquires. In order
to keep our costs to a minimum we do not encourage contact by phone
however when the need arises we will contact you by phone.
Email: info@thedeedpoll.co.uk
17. Are there any extra
charges?
Our TOTAL cost is £15. The Deed
Poll and instructions are sent to you by first class post. We replace
lost Deed Polls free of charge. The only other charges will be
the cost of any photocopies you make of the Deed Poll plus the
postage costs involved when you notify all interested parties of
your change of name.
We are happy to help. Please email us if you have any questions. |
Deed Poll: information page (home) 
