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Divorce/separation

Here you'll find divorce help and support from other Mners. For legal advice, you may find Advice Now guides useful.

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Original poster

Changing name after divorce

24 replies

BigFatZiggy · 31/03/2019 23:51

My Absolute came through last Autumn and I’ve just got round to changing my name back to my maiden name. I’m finding this surprisingly difficult...

Passport office want: birth certificate, marriage certificate, Decree Absolute and a letter from me stating that I have changed my name (my solicitor has provided wording for a change of name deed - so I think that covers this)... so far so good...

BUT they ALSO want a utility bill / bank statement or other official letter addressed to my NEW name with my address on it...

The utilities, banks etc have requested my new passport before they will change my name on their records. It’s chicken and egg!

Why does this have to be such a difficult process?

My name on my birth certificate and marriage certificate is my ‘NEW’ name anyway!

Advice please? Ta x

OP posts:

GemmaFoster · 02/04/2019 23:01

If you have a driving licence get this done first. Then you have photo ID with your maiden name & address. DVLA should have your maiden name if you had a licence pre marriage.

Itsnotme123 · 03/04/2019 06:50

I’ll be watching this thread with interest. As according to the internet, name changing is a nightmare. I’m sure someone will know the order of steps to make it easier. Although I’m happier with my married name, I just want to be called Ms now.

Gemma is right. Driving licence should be changed first, even if you are just moving to a new address.

sashh · 03/04/2019 06:57

Do a deed poll. You can get a free one on line. Print it out, get two witnesses and it's done.

The passport office accepted mine and then I used my passport to change others.

This was not after a divorce though.

The passport office should accept your birth certificate but I think they are tightening up because of fraud.

GemmaFoster · 03/04/2019 07:05

Also you can get certified copies of your absolute made in a post office. Make your own copies, take in with original and they will stamp copies. This means you can send off a few changes at once.

SureTry · 04/04/2019 14:27

I'm in the process of doing mine. I changed it on the electoral roll first, they'll write to confirm the change so you'll have one letter with your new name on. I then did my driving license using my deed poll and the letter from the council. I've yet to do my passport & bank as I'm still going through the divorce process god knows when that will be finished.

anyoldvic · 04/04/2019 14:43

You can change your name with your electricity supplier for example without paperwork, I'm pretty sure

Original poster

BigFatZiggy · 05/04/2019 09:36

Thanks for replies...

In the end I’ve found Deedpoll was necessary and I wish Id just done this from the outset - it shouldn’t have been needed, as my solicitor had given me wording for a deed of name change but nobody was accepting this!

I have only a provisional driving licence, but have sent this off now anyway with the Deedpoll.

It’s weird that the passport office needed umpteen original documents AND it’s clear from my birth and marriage certificates that I’m going back to my maiden name, yet a £15 Deedpoll that anyone could order online seems to have worked... nuts!

Organisations seem to have such different rules and I’m working my way through a list of nearly 200. Can honestly say it’s a pain in the arse and I shall not be doing this again! IF I ever remarry I’ll be keeping my name.

OP posts:

extremehydration · 05/04/2019 09:37

If you are in Scotland, it's much easier, I believe.

Original poster

BigFatZiggy · 05/04/2019 09:38

Oh and the most difficult financial organisation is PayPal. They won’t do it without my new passport, which I don’t have yet. I’m tempted to just set up a new account instead.

OP posts:

extremehydration · 05/04/2019 09:39

I'd probably do that - just set up a new account. Crazy, isn't it?

Original poster

BigFatZiggy · 05/04/2019 10:10

Well if the reason it’s so difficult to revert back to the name I was born with is due to more stringent security... Deedpoll makes a complete mockery of that.

OP posts:

somuchinfo · 05/04/2019 10:26

I've had same problem. First off driving licence needs to be done as proof of I.d then do your bank change bank card as that's another form of I.d then slowly work through all the rest sending proof of birth certificate they will send back to you. I got extra copies to make sending the proofs easier

BeyondShattered · 05/04/2019 10:31

Technically you don’t legally need anything to revert to your birth name, as there was no legal change to your married name as it’s not essential that you change. Iyswim?

NotBeingRobbed · 05/04/2019 10:41

It proves it’s all about being a possession of men. What’s the difference between being called Mrs Fred and Of Fred???

anyoldvic · 05/04/2019 11:05

When I did mine not long ago I did have to argue a bit with the passport office because the info they gave was initially conflicting, but in the end I only needed my birth certificate, my marriage certificate stating maiden and married names (no decree absolute because I didn't have one - this was before the divorce was done), and a covering statement saying I was reverting to my maiden name for all purposes.

I refused to do a deed poll to revert to my own bloody name!

SureTry · 05/04/2019 12:04

It's strange that all you need to change your name once married, is your marriage certificate When you want to change back to your birth name you need all kinds of crap. It's infuriating, I certainly won't be changing my name again.

BeyondShattered · 05/04/2019 12:22

I did the same any, if you are an argumentative twat insistent that the law does not require a deed poll for it, they do back down. See also the people who insisted on evidence when I changed from mrs to ms

NotBeingRobbed · 05/04/2019 13:21

I’m sick of people calling me Mrs. Why is a woman’s marital status part of her title? It’s not relevant for men!

BringMeAGinandTonic · 07/04/2019 06:37

@BigFatZiggy I got a PM from you but it says it was deleted and I can't read whatever you sent. I tried PMing you back, it won't go through. Hope you get this.

ivykaty44 · 07/04/2019 06:45

I changed my name using my decree absolute

First my employer, scanned degree absolute and they changed my name. So had wage slip in new name.

Then my bank, Lloyds fine with degree absolute & changed, Barclay awkward until I said Lloyd’s did it and I might as well close the account... then they changed it without and problem

Driving licence next cant say I had any issue there

Passport still had two years so I waited and sent in degree absolute, and a few other documents all ok

Never got a deed poll as refuse to obtain a document to confirm that my birth name is my name

RubberTreePlant · 07/04/2019 06:46

UK passport office? No you don't need all of those things. It's ambiguous wording but that can't possibly want all of that, so they must just need the one.

ivykaty44 · 07/04/2019 06:48

anyoldvic I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels like that about deed poll

Tbh I didn’t find it any more difficult changing name using a decree absolute than a marriage certificate

RubberTreePlant · 07/04/2019 06:51

I refused to do a deed poll to revert to my own bloody name!

Thirded! Marriage doesn't remove your rights to your own name. A decree absolute is more than ample proof for the audit trail.

RubberTreePlant · 07/04/2019 06:54

If you think about it OP, that list I screenshot has to be an "OR" list rather than an "AND" list, because you might reasonably want to resume use of your birth name, or start using both for different purposes, even in an intact marriage. In those circumstances a marriage certificate would have to suffice.

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