Children's Surname Change

[ClaireBear88x]

Hi,
We are looking at changing my step-children's surname officially. We have a concern about the children's details being published in the Gazette. I spoke to someone official, and they said we can complete the paperwork and send a letter explaining on what grounds we wish the children's details to not be published. They would then proceed as per our wishes or contact us if they do not agree.

Has anyone had any experience of doing this?

I am concerned that we would "slip through the net" and our details be published.

Thanks for any help

Are you in the UK. Not sure why details would be published in the paper? My DD changed her name by deedpoll, no-one seemed to care much tbh.

When we lived in England our solicitor did a change if name deed for my daughter.
No add in paper needed.

Do you have consent from both parents?

Hi,
I've also changed DC's surnames and there was nothing said about putting it in he paper.

Is this something your solicitor has told you?

Thank you for your replies.

Yes, we are in the UK and their father is in agreement to the surname change.

It seems an automatic thing that the name change is granted and then it becomes published in the Gazette. My other half has concerns over this due to previous harassment by the ex's family. He no longer talks to them to say he approves of it anyway. Long story!

We can go down the solicitor route but it will cost at least £750! Whereas the diy route is only £36 each.

Eh who told they needed to go in the Gazette? You just need written permission from everyone with PR.

www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/change-a-childs-name

If everyone with parental responsibility agrees
Download and complete the forms for changing a child’s namee - this includes the notification form for The Gazettee. You have to pay a fee of £36 to apply.
Send your forms and documents to the Queen’s Bench Division.

Sorry I can't open the actual forms on my phone to show you, it has to be opened on a computer!

Yes, pretty sure it didn't happen with DD's Deedpoll, or first I've heard of it.

My son changed his name by deed poll and it wasn't published anywhere.

m.thegazette.co.uk

Could you do a search on here to see if the details were published please?

I have searched 'all notices', which is all I can see that would cover it, and am on p 3 of 675816.....all I have seen so far is Insolvency and wills.

A Deedpoll in its strictest sense is one that is court stamped and published in the Gazette. However there are lots of companies, mostly online, that will do a change of name deed for around £10. Nothing published anywhere, and if you really want you can write your own change of name deed. The online companies normally guarantee that the paperwork will be accepted by official bodies (passport office, banks etc). I've changed my name twice by change of name deed through an online company.

They just appear to be in date order, as far as I can see.

I did it with www.ukdp.co.uk

I don't think you even need to use an online company. You can write one yourself and get it witnessed by another person. They sent me a document printed on nice paper. I got it signed by a friend. Then I sent it to the passport office and got the name changed on the passport. I also told the GP so it's changed on the NHS system. DC was very young so there isn't anyone else to inform.

There is no Gazette involved at all.

For name changed on the passport, I meant DC got a new passport.

I've searched ffor a child name change and I caaant find it in there. I've never heard of it having to be published either.

My dd had her surname changed by deed poll at a local solicitors. Didn't go in the Gazette

My deed poll name change isn't listed

I see father agrees to the name change. What about the mother?

The mother is fine about it also. So we've got the go ahead, it's just this confusion about the gazette! It seems it will be worth taking the chance or to do it a different way

I don't get this obsession on MN with "Deed Poll". It's archaic, and unnecessary.

As PPs have said you need a simple deed. See this www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jun/29/deed-poll-websites-avoid then complete your free change of name deed on this freedeedpoll.org.uk, following their guidance about what to do next.

I have lost count of the number of times I have had to explain this on this site. It would help if the advice from government was correct.

Surely you want to be clear with all family what the children are known as? They may want to investigate their relations at a later date?

I don't understand the secrecy if both parents are in agreement?

No one else has a say in the matter whilst the dc are young (obviously they can change their own name as adults) and a name change is not supposed to be hidden, it will show on birth certificates as a revision for example.

Why are you trying to hide this?

No one else has a say in the matter whilst the dc are young (obviously they can change their own name as adults) and a name change is not supposed to be hidden, it will show on birth certificates as a revision for example.

You can only add it to the birth certificate when they are under 12 months. I did this with DC2 and a dead poll for DC1.

What I mean as DC1 didn't get anything recorded on the birth certificate. There is nothing to show it's a revision at all.