Do we need a solicitor?

[LookMumNoHands]

My fiancé and I (getting married in March) have been together since my DD was a few months old (she is now 5).

There is no biological father and I would like my DF to have parental responsibility and I would also like us to all have the same surname after the wedding (DD has my surname currently).

Do I need to instruct a solicitor or is this something I can do myself through the courts/council. There is so much information online that I don't really know where to turn and would hate to spend a fortune on a solicitor if I don't need to.

Thank you for your help if you can

The simple answer is that depends on whether her biological father has parental responsibility. If he went with you to register her and is named on the birth certificate, then he automatically has PR now, and you will need his consent to change her name.

If the above doesn't apply, you can change her name by deed poll, and apply for PR for your fiancé.

There is no one on her birth certificate, just me! Drunken one night stand pregnancy (not my proudest moment) but gorgeous DD as the outcome

So deed poll I can do after wedding when I change everything else over and PR...how do I do that?

Sorry to be pedantic but there is a biological father, he's just not named on the birth certificate!

After you are married you can enter into a PR agreement with your husband. You fill in a Step-Parent Parental Responsibility Agreement which you can get here. The notes on the second page tell you what to do with the form when you've completed it.

Obviously there is one, it wasn't an immaculate conception but I was trying to make it clear that I didn't need to get agreement from someone else with PR. Helpful though thank you

Thank you prh47 that's great, I will take a look at that now