To not understand how to use a Deed Poll to change my name?

[NotAnOstrich]

Not sure which the best "official" area of Mumsnet is, hope it's ok to ask the AIBU experts? AIBU to not be able to find out how to change names after getting married - Deed Polls seem trickier (or a lot easier) than I expected.

I am marrying my DP in August, at a register office. The registrar at our meeting wasn't much help. She is only familiar with the option of the wife taking the husband's name (send your marriage certificate to places like the Passport Agency) or the wife keeping her maiden name.

We want to both change our names, to double-barrelled of our two surnames (so we match our children). I think both of us therefore need to "do" a Deed Poll, but apparently you don't have to use an "official" website, you just write out a document in a certain way (that states you will be using a different surname from now on etc), and get someone to witness you signing it.

Really? Has anyone tried this, or been down the double-barrelled surname route? Is it a big hassle? Thanks in advance for any advice.

For a deed poll you literally just walk into the office of a solicitor and tell them you want one. It can be done more or less instantly, or they'll give you an appointment. You prove who you are now, and tell them what name you want to be known by in future, they make out the deed poll, get it notarised, give you a few copies, and you pay. It is very straightforward - my pfb got one in an hour once, although that was in Durham for passport stuff, so they may be used to it with it being where the passport office is.

My husband took my name so had to change his name legally by deed-poll. It's really not hard and cost £28. I'm not sure if it's the same as double-barelling. If I remember from when I looked into it, I think the woman can double barrel without legally changing anything (as in you can change your name on your bank account etc just by showing you marriage cert), but the man would have to legally change his name...I think anyway.

if your adding his name to your name, (as in smith-jones) you do NOT need a deed poll, just take your wedding cert to bank ect and they just add the name on :)

Thanks PomBear - will try the solicitor route. Was it expensive?

www.deedpoll.org.uk/

this is offical website

Thanks gothicangel - do you know from experience if that is the same for husbands? A lot of institutions like banks seem happy about wives bringing in marriage certificates, but not for men?

im not sure, but i know the link i posted (for deedpoll) is good as its the one i have used, and it wasnt very expensive, make sure you get extra certafied copies as some companys keep the copy :)

I was going to keep my maiden name as a middle name when I got married so looked into it all,

The one thing I remember was it was suggested the Man change his name by deed poll before the wedding, the woman then just adopts his name when they marry.

That way you only have to pay once.

Men NEED to do it by deed-poll, women can do it with just a marriage cert if memory serves. DH had to do it before we were married so we got married with the same surname...made it rather interesting for the registrar I'm sure >_< We did it on-line, they send you a document to sign and you need someone to witness it, you send it back and that's it. Piece of cake!

fruity thats what we did, easy peasy :)

It's really very easy to change your name by deed poll. And it's worth while getting official copies too so you can change your names on things like bank accounts etc.

However, it is precisely when you have to change your name on everything that deed polling seems like a Very Bad Idea :( It's just so convoluted; involving sending in the official copy, filling in extra-long forms, re-filling in forms as they stupid idiots sent the wrong one in the first place...

As you may deduce I'm in the middle of this all right now after changing my name 6 years ago! Land Registry. Pah. And I still haven't managed to successfully change my name on an airline card.

I still haven't changed my name on everything.

I am Mrs New Name at work, on some bank accounts/ credit cards and doctors etc

However I Miss Maiden Name on my Driving Licence, Passport, Car Insurance, car Ownership and some bank accounts / credit cards.

I just can't be bothered to change everything until I need to!

Thanks fruity and scarlet - that is one option I had read about.

Peri - what you describe in your post is what I'm wondering about - the admin. We bought a house 18 months ago and have only recently stopped having to contact various utility companies to clarify bills from previous occupants etc. Feel like I will be back on the phone to them all again!

Anyone seen this site? It's one of the ones which seems to say you can make the Deed Poll yourself?

freedeedpoll.org.uk/

A cheaper way might be for your dh to be to change his name pre marriage to the intended surname. Upon marriage ypu just take his name. So only one charge iyswim?

Oh yeah, changing my name on the title deeds - a total PITA I have to get a conveyancer to sign a proof of ID, or visit the Land Registry.

I don't live in the UK, so it's stalemate.

When I did it DH went to the solicitor and changed his by deed poll prior to the wedding then I did mine in the normal way with The marriage certificate.
That was on the advice of the registrar as the cheapest way.

I did it online and I remember it being very easy. There are several quite reputable sites that do it. It takes a couple of weeks for the deeds to come through, then you just need to get them countersigned by people who know you but are not related to you. You need to get a few copies as places like Banks require original copies. But it's actually very easy. I did it two years before my divorce came through as I was desperate to revert to my maiden name.

NotAnOstrich you can use that website, or the DeedPoll website below, to change your name. The main thing is having witnesses. THe cost is in getting your passport changed afterwards.

There's no such thing as "the official" site - it's the document that matters, not the organisation who produces it. I asked a solicitor whether there was any advantage in using him, he said no, so I used one of the websites that promises to be accepted by the DVLA and passport office. Cost about £20.

There's no reason you couldn't do it yourself, as long as it's properly witnessed, but I preferred to go to someone who'd done it before, just in case I messed it up.