K.Barrington
2 Mar 2022
A Deed Poll is a certificate or legal document that confirms the change of an applicant's name. Applicants may change any part of the name and surname. There are no restrictions on adding or removing any part of the applicant's name.
Contents
Introduction
In the UK, people wishing to change their name and surname must be at least 16 years of age to submit a so-called "deed poll". Deed Poll is a certificate that is an official legal document confirming the legal change of your name and surname.
There is no legal rule or procedure that applicants should follow to use the newly formed first and last name. On the other hand, a "deed poll" certificate is needed, especially for people who would like to apply for or change official identity documents such as a passport or driving license with the newly created name and surname.
As these guidelines mainly relate to regulations and legal procedures in England and Wales, applicants for a name change in Scotland should be aware that different rules apply.
A Deed Poll is a certificate or legal document that confirms the change of an applicant's name. Applicants may change any part of the name and surname. There are no restrictions on adding or removing any part of the applicant's name. This document also allows you to change the spelling and remove multiple names or surnames.
To obtain a legal certificate of a name change, you must submit a deed poll by yourself or apply to the Royal Courts of Justice.
Please note that obtaining a legal act or a deed poll certificate is not necessary after marriage or civil partnership. Just send this copy of your marriage certificate, and your name will be changed automatically. Such a procedure is free of charge.
In the case of divorce, it is enough to present a marriage certificate and a divorce document or other confirmation of the dissolution of the marriage or civil partnership. However, there are cases where the organisation or institution will not change this name after you present the documents mentioned above, and then you will have to submit an official notification to these institutions or organisations.
Make your own deed poll
People submitting a letter intending to change their name and surname can do it themselves, and they can find templates of such a statement below. Please remember that such an 'unenrolled' deed poll is not legally binding and may not be accepted by some institutions or organisations, for example, by banks. Therefore, before you start submitting any document requesting a change of name or surname, you should ask the institution or organisation in question what type of certificate is required.
An exemplary 'unenrolled' deed poll template which you intend to submit yourself should be dressed in the following content:
Enrol a deed poll with the courts
The second form is the so-called 'enrolled' deed poll, which confirms the change of name in court and this change is recorded in public registers.
Every entitled individual can obtain this legal and more official name change certificate by applying through the Royal Courts of Justice. Additionally, the applicant must be 18 years of age or older. If you are a minor, then your parents' consent will be required, and details can be found below in the section on changing the name and surname of a child.
There is also a cost for a court application, and the cost of such an application is £42.44. Applications are available on the government website, and it is the responsibility of each person requesting a name change to select the appropriate application, which is available on the government website, which are:
Form LOC020 (the change of name deed for an adult, also known as the ‘deed poll’)
Form LOC021 (the statutory declaration for an adult name change)
Form LOC025 (the Notice for the London Gazette for an adult name change)
If you want to enroll a deed poll for a child under 18, use Forms LOC022, LOC023, LOC024 and LOC026.
All applicants should send a correctly selected and completed application with a payable to HMCTS cheque for the amount of £42.44 to Queen's Bench Division (full address below):
Queen’s Bench Division Enforcement Section Room E15 The Royal Courts of Justice Strand London WC2A 2LL
Change a child’s name
The possibility of changing the name and surname of a child under 18 years is perfectly acceptable in England and Wales. To carry out such a change and obtain a Deed Poll for a child, parents or legal guardians may submit a declaration on their own, preferably using the services of specialists, for example, our company or other specialised agents or lawyers.
Additionally, you can do this by filing a motion with the court, which means that every organisation or local authority will accept such a change and be recorded in public records such as The Gazette. Parents or guardians may also request that the child's full name not be published.
The parent or guardian of a child under 18 should use these forms to change and put their new name on public record by 'enrolling' it at the Royal Courts of Justice.
As mentioned earlier in the paragraph about adults, some institutions or organisations that do not accept a self-created name change certificate should determine the required type. Therefore, it is essential to inquire about the details of a given organisation or institution and choose the type of certificate needed.
Children aged 16 or 17 may submit such a declaration on their own, but the consent of their parents or other legal guardians will be required.
At the time of application, you will need to provide each child with the permission of all holders of parental responsibility or obtain a court order if there are any disagreements between those with parental responsibility.
You can obtain a court order by submitting an application (form C100) to the nearest court to where you live and obtaining court approval to change your child's surname or first name. However, please note that it costs £215 to make such an application for a "specific issue order". There are also options for reducing court costs, but this is only available to people with low incomes or social benefits.
If each of the parents or legal guardians who have parental authority agrees to change the name and surname of a given child, it is enough to complete the forms and an application to enter these changes in public registers.
The cost for such an application is exactly the same as for adults, and it is £42.44. Then, you should send all necessary forms and documents supporting a given application to the address below, including a cheque payable to HMCTS.
Queen’s Bench Division Enforcement Section Room E15 The Royal Courts of Justice Strand London WC2A 2LL
I hope this information is comprehensive, but if there are any questions or problems with interpretation, don't hesitate to contact our company. If you need additional information or consult your issues with name changing in England and Wales feel free to contact our specialist via email info@kjbinternationalaid.com. Alternatively, you can book your free 30 minutes telephone consultation here.
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