Changing your name upon divorce
Following a divorce many people feel the need for a fresh start and one way of initiating this is by a change of name.
Women reverting to their maiden names
Women who have followed the tradition of adopting their husbands surname upon marriage often wish to revert to their maiden name following a divorce. A decree absolute, along with a marriage certificate (showing a woman's name before marriage), will be sufficient documentary evidence to complete the name change. These should be sent off to the relevant departments and all records can be updated including those with the Identity and Passport Office.
If problems arise when trying to change your name with these documents, or if you do not have one of these documents to hand, you may find it more convenient to execute a change of name by Deed Poll.
Women changing their name to something other than their maiden name or changing other names
If a woman chooses to change her surname to anything other than her maiden name it must be done by Deed Poll. This is also the case if you choose to alterations to other parts of your name. This kind of name change can be done by Deed Poll in the usual manner. Any part of your name can be changed - forenames, surname, the spelling of current names etc. You may also wish to execute a change of title which can be incorporated into your Deed Poll. This can be indicated when the application form for a Deed Poll document is completed.
Women changing their name before the Divorce has been finalised
If a woman decides to change her name before the divorce is finalised she can do so through the use of a Deed Poll. After receiving and executing the Deed Poll, it can be sent off to all of the relevant departments whose records need to be updated to show the new name.
Changing your name before a divorce has been finalised should not affect any future divorce proceedings.
Changing children's names
Some people choose to change their children's names after they have undergone a change of surname. They may want their child's surname to match their own, or want a double-barrelled name incorporating both parents' surnames. Either way, this process must be done by Deed Poll. In order to change a child's name, permission from all parental guardians is required. To find out more read our page on Changing a child's name.
Men changing their name after divorce
Double barrelling or combining a couples surnames upon marriage is becoming increasingly popular. Because of this, men often find themselves using a part of their wife's maiden name after marriage, and therefore, after divorce.
Men wishing to revert to their names before marriage upon divorce will need to execute a Deed Poll document. Problems would arise if a man attempted to use the decree absolute (in the same way that a woman can to revert to her maiden name), as many organisations would not be happy to accept it as proof of a name change.
By applying for a Deed Poll all documents, including passports, can be updated to show a persons new name(s).
To change your name...
- Fill in our online application form
- Receive your Deed Poll in the post
- Sign and date your Deed Poll
- Update records into your new name
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