Has anyone changed their name (by deed poll)? faff? tips?

[colouringindoors]

Hi there I'm planning to change my name back to my maiden name and due to delays to divorce process I'm thinking of just getting on with it using deed poll.

Has anyone done this? Is it a total PITA changing everything - banks, NHS, email etc etc?

If you've any tips to minimise hassle I'd love to hear about them! Thanks.

I did this a couple of years ago. It is really easy with the free template you can find online (don't pay for Deed Polls changes - there is no need!). It is just a 1 sheet of A4 document and you need two witnesses. I did 3 originals, so that I could send them off to different places without having to wait for each one to return them.

If you have list and work through it methodically it is quite straightforward. Dedicate a couple of hours to working out who needs what and when. For instance some places need the DP and a photo document, so do driving licence or passport first. Some places allow you to do it online with a pdf version.

I did it online, and a friend signed as a witness, about £9.99.
Passport, Bank and work (NHS) all accepted, no problem. I did a few colour copies of the original to give to GP etc

I paid for it, as could pay a bit extra for certified copies, then made a list of everything I needed to change and did a couple at a time as sometimes had to wait for the certificates came back again. Some companies would accept online so I just uploaded it.

It takes time, but rather that than stay in my married name.

Apparently you don't actually need one for most things once divorced, if you have your birth certificate , decree absolute etc, (check with each company what is needed) but my bank wrongly told me that I did which is why I got one.

A few tips from when I did mine, op
Once you've filled in your deed poll either yourself or had a solicitor
do it your first port of call needs to be HMRC. From there everything else flows.
Because most of the other government bodies, [passport etc] will
need proof from another gov dept that you're now using the deed poll name - if that makes sense.
So the passport office will check with HMRC that your new name can be verified. Saved me a lot of hassle when they told me that.

Have at least 10 copies of your deed poll to send out to various orgs, like bank, doctors, DVLC etc. because most of them won't return them.

1. from what I understand your maiden name is yours forever, just start using it with your birth certificate as ID.

2. this comes up very frequently,

YOU DO NOT NEED A SOLICITOR

IT IS FREE

YES IT IS LEGAL THIS WAY

YOU DO NOT NEED IT VERIFIED NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE TELLS YOU

Google ‘free deedpoll’, fill it out, print off ten copies (it’s true lots of places don’t return them), get two friends to sign them, start sending them off to whoever wants them eg gas, bank, whoever. Some places won’t need it so don’t send without checking.

Here, it’s this link

freedeedpoll.org.uk/

Or, get the information direct from the govt at gov.uk

You don’t need a Deed Poll to revert to your maiden name. You can just change it now and inform the places that need to know that this is now your name.

Thanks so much everyone, I'm going to give the self certification route a go 😄