If there is
anything you are still unsure about
please do not hesitate to
Contact
Us
Can I use photocopies of my Deed
Poll to have my personal records
amended, rather than sending out the
original?
Some
organisations will accept a
photocopy of your Deed Poll while
others will want to see the original
or a Legal Copy. Some contacts
unlikely to accept a photocopy
include:
Employer
Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency
Passport Office
Bank
Building Society
A more comprehensive list of
government departments, companies
and organisations that you need to
notify is included in your Deed Poll
pack as well as whether they usually
prefer to see the original Deed
Poll, a legal copy, or if they will
accept a photocopy.
We can supply you with Legal Copies
of your Deed Poll, which you can
order once you have received your
Deed Poll. For more information on
Legal Copies see the page
Services
for Previous Deed Poll Clients
I came to your site because I
previously ordered a cheap deed poll
online but experienced problems when
trying to get it accepted. If I now
order from you will I have the same
problem?
No. We are a
leading issuer of deed polls in the
UK, therefore we are well known to
all major organisations. All of our
deed polls carry our ‘UK Deed Polls’
stamp so there is no doubt over
authenticity. Sadly, many people go
through exactly what you have
regarding deed polls from cheap
sites online.
If
I change my name by Deed Poll will
my credit rating be affected?
No. When you complete any
application form for a loan/credit
etc, you will be asked if you have
ever been known by a former name.
Once you have disclosed your former
name, all of your credit history can
be accessed. Also, when you notify
your personal bank of your name
change, they will notify credit
reference agencies. For more
information on whom you need to
advise after changing your name see
our page Who to notify after changing your name
When will I receive my Deed Poll?
Once we
receive your Deed Poll application
your documents are prepared and
dispatched within one working day.
Delivery to
addresses in the United Kingdom will
then take one to two working days.
Delivery to addresses outside the
United Kingdom can take up to five
working days.
I want to change my name but I want
to continue to use my former name at
work because I have built up a good
reputation over the years with my
clients. Can I do this?
If you have a particular reputation
at work or just want to keep your
maiden name to avoid confusion with
contacts, you may decide to do this.
You'll probably need to write to
your work, explaining what you'll be
doing and also to let them know
which name your bank account/NI/tax
records should be held in.
Do I need to inform everyone that my
name has changed?
Yes. When you sign your Deed Poll
you make two declarations. That you
will entirely abandon the use of
your old name and you will only use
your new name in the future. See
our page
Who to notify after changing your name
for a basic list of organisations to
inform of your change of name. A
more comprehensive list of
government departments, companies
and organisations that you need to
notify is also included in your Deed
Poll pack.
How much does it cost to change my
name by Deed Poll?
Our services provide a considerable
saving compared to using a
solicitor. You can find full
details of the costs involved by
clicking the link Services Available and Fees.
Which documents can you not change
to your new name?
The
documents that you cannot change
are;
Birth Certificate (Except in
various circumstances.
Click here for further
information.)
Marriage Certificate
Decree Absolute Certificate
Past Educational Certificates
Is there a central government office
that holds a copy of my Deed Poll?
A deed poll can be enrolled in the
Central Office of the Supreme Court.
It is not necessary to do so and you
can just keep the deed to produce as
evidence of a change of name if
required.
However, enrolling a deed poll
provides safe custody. The change is
also advertised in the London
Gazette. There is however a charge
for this service.
A deed poll can only be enrolled by
British, British Dependent
Territories, British Overseas or
Commonwealth citizens and British
subjects who are permanently
resident in the United Kingdom.
There is no time limit in which a
deed poll may be enrolled and it can
be cancelled at any time. If a
client is married, a copy of the
marriage certificate and her/his
partner's consent is required by the
Central Office of the Supreme Court
in order for a deed poll to be
enrolled. However very few name
changes by Deed Poll are recorded in
the Supreme Court.
How well protected will my personal
information be?
We recognise our responsibility to
keep confidential at all times any
information about you which we
acquire in connection with your
application. All online payments
are handled by
World Pay Limited
which is owned by The Royal Bank of
Scotland Group plc. This means your
personal information is protected to
an equivalent high standard to that
which you would experience through
any other channels of the bank, such
as bank branches, cash machines or
on the telephone.
Do I need to return my Deed Poll
document to you after I have signed
it?
No, once you have executed your Deed
Poll, you can start using it
immediately to get your documents
and records changed. However, if you
are planning on using our
Legal Copy and Archive Service
you will need to send your original
document back to us. We recommend
this service as many organisations
will not accept photocopies of your
Deed Poll. This system
enables you to
get your records updated quickly and
avoid your original Deed Poll
document being folded and creased or
even lost in the post. For more
information on this service see our
page
Services
for Previous Deed Poll Clients
Do I need to get a solicitor or
someone similar to witness me sign
my Deed Poll?
No, the witness can be anyone so
long as they are over the age of 18
and know you and are independent of
you i.e. not a relative or partner
or someone living at the same
address. Therefore, a friend,
neighbour or work colleague would be
a suitable witness. The process of
executing of your Deed Poll is
explained fully in your Deed Poll
pack.
My child's father
has parental responsibility but is
absent. Do I need his consent for a
name change?
It may be possible for a parent to
change the child's surname by deed
poll without the other parent's
consent if the other parent's
whereabouts are not known. The
parent must have taken reasonable
steps to contact the other parent
before making an application for a
name change.
If you are in this situation you can
apply for a Deed Poll and support
your application with a letter of
consent which should include:
Information about your attempts
at contacting the absent parent.
For example, writing to the last
known address, contacting
relatives and friends of the
parent etc.
Details of the period of absence
by the absent parent
For a template letter for this
situation please Click
here
The father of my child and I are not
married. Do I need to have his
permission before changing my child’s
name?
Not necessarily. Only people with parental
responsibility need to give consent
to your child’s change of name by
Deed Poll and biological fathers
don’t automatically have this right.
However, if the father of your child
has been granted parental
responsibility he will
need to be consulted and give
consent before you apply for a Deed
Poll.
I recently booked a holiday abroad
but have since decided to change my
name. Can I keep my passport in my
old name but change my other
records, then change the passport
when I return to the UK?
We strongly advise that you do not
travel abroad with your documents in
different names for security
reasons. Try to get your travel
documents changed to your new name
but if this is not possible it is
advisable to wait until you return
before changing your name, unless
you only get those documents and
records changed that you will not be
taking with you.
Is a Deed Poll accepted as proof of
a name change all over the UK?
Yes. Although
a Deed Poll is an English legal
document, it is recognised by all UK
government departments, companies
and organisations. For more
information see our page What is a Deed Poll?
I have separated from my husband and
would like to revert to my maiden
name. Can I do this without/before
getting my divorce?
Many women (who took their husband's
surname upon marriage) believe that
they have to wait until they have
divorced before reverting to their
maiden name. This is not the case. A
separated woman has the right to
change her surname at any time. The
change can be carried out through
use of a deed poll and does not
affect any divorce proceedings that
may have already began, or may
happen in the future. The only thing
you need to do as regards this is
notify the other party of the name
change. Following this, any
documentation regarding the divorce
will be in your maiden name.
As well as
reverting to your maiden name, you
may take the opportunity to alter
your title to Miss or Mrs. When you
complete our application form you
will see a section where you can
tell us what new title you want so
we can incorporate a declaration on
your Deed Poll that changes your
title. Please note, if you change
your title, you must ensure that on
any application forms, for example
for credit, loans, insurance etc,
you make it clear your marital
status is married (until your
divorce is finalised).
I am changing my surname to that of
my boyfriend's. Can I use the title
Mrs?
Yes.
You an change your title to Mrs
regardless of your marital status.
When you
complete our application form, you
will see a section where you can
tell us what new title you want so
we can incorporate a declaration on
your Deed Poll that changes your
title. Please note, if you change
your title, you must ensure that on
any application forms, for example
for credit, loans, insurance etc,
you make it clear your marital
status is single.
I am a British citizen living
abroad. Can I apply for a change of
name by Deed Poll?
Yes. Once you receive your Deed
Poll, take it to your nearest
British consular office and you will
be able to obtain a new British
passport. You can then use your new
passport to get any documents and
records changed in the country in
which you live. However, we suggest
that you consult your nearest
British consular office prior to
making you application, to ensure
that there are no special
requirements that must be met before
they will issue you with a new
passport.
I have dual nationality. Will a Deed
Poll get both passports I hold
reissued in my new name?
Our Deed Polls are guaranteed to get
your British passport reissued in
your new name. Whether or not your
other passport will be able to be
changed will depend on the issuing
country. We recommend you contact
the passport section of the issuing
country’s embassy before applying.
What is the difference between a
Statutory Declaration and a Deed
Poll?
A statutory declaration is a
statement, which will record your
intention to use a new name.
All statutory declarations must be
signed by you in your new name and
witnessed, either by a solicitor
(other than the one who prepared the
statutory declaration) or a Justice
of the Peace (JP). Solicitors charge
for drawing up and witnessing
statutory declarations as well as
for signing them which makes this
method a more costly and less formal
way of changing your name, than a
Deed Poll.
In addition, some magistrates'
courts are reluctant to witness
statutory declarations as
satisfactory evidence of a name
change as they believe a person
should use a deed poll.
We often issue
Deed Polls to people who have been
unable to get their Statutory
Declaration accepted by everyone.
How can I get a
replacement Deed Poll as I have lost
my original document?
If you did not order your previous
Deed Poll document through us the
only thing you can do is apply for
another Deed Poll to be drafted up
for you to act as a replacement.
You can apply for this online by
following
this link. When filling in
the application you should enter
your former name in the current name
space and your current name in the
new name space. This is so we can
replicate the name change shown on
your lost Deed Poll document.
If you did order your previous Deed
Poll with us
click here to see the options
open to you.
