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they said we can complete the paperwork and send a letter explaining on what grounds we wish the children's details to not be published.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

I didn't know that about bc and ages. I have had to put former and current name on some official forms to keep records consistent however.

@QueenofEsgaroth

I believe you are not looking at the situation in the same way we are. We are not "hiding" anything.

Firstly, I am a nurse and I don't agree with children's details being published at all.

Secondly, my family, my partners family and the biological father all support and agree to the name change. Indeed the father feels it is for the best. As stated, the situation is complex. The father has no contact with his family due to them disagreeing with my partners and my relationship. This was to the point where his family have harassed both the biological father and my partner. This is why we do not wish to have our address published. Their father wishes this also.

We have ways to easily contact that side of the children's family should they wish to and they do have our contact numbers, I just wish to withhold our address from them.

My partner also has had harassment from a previous neighbour so do not wish to alert him of our address.

......

If we changed their names online, what would be their passport and driving licence surname?

Sorry I am really confused, maybe I am reading this wrong, is your partner the mother or the father of the children?

I changed DS surname to DHs with biological father's permission. I did it with an online company, cost about £30, no gazette involved and perfectly legal as he's just had a passport etc in his new name.

OP All you need to change a name is a piece of paper which has the right wording on it, permission from people with PR for children and is signed and witnessed.

All the Gazette stuff is a completely optional thing, the only effect it has is that the name change officially becomes a public record and can be searched for like birth certificates can be. Very very few name changes get enrolled like that. There's absolutely no need.

You either write your document yourself making sure you've got the right wording (there are free templates online), or you pay a small amount to an online company to write it for you, you sign it, your witness witnesses it, and that's it. Print multiple copies. Send the document to the passport office. Once the passport in the new surname arrives, it can be used to change other records along with your name change document.

You include the deed poll as supporting document to change the name on the passport.

From your last post I guess yiu and your partner may be same sex partners hence bio father's family's issues! Grr!

The Gazette is a very dry document literally publishing legal notices such as ads for winding up companies, bankruptcy notices etc. It is not likely to be read by general members of the public nor even lawyers unless they were specifically looking for something. It is possible that may make a difference to your worries if you do have to put in the Gazette.

@Allthebestnamesareused

You've got it 100%! Hence the family issues lol

Thank you for the info, it is helping to form our decision :)