Changing back to my maiden name bank want deed poll evidence

[rumblefish23]

Hi any advice would be appreciated.
I want to change back to my maiden name, I am a widow and my husband died about 6 years ago in his 40s so I am a young widow. I had a look online and my birth certificate, death certificate and my marriage certificate should be enough to change my name.

I started with my bank and they want me to show I have changed my name by deed poll. I had a look online and there are 2 types of deed poll one you can do yourself (using a company) or the Royal Court where you have to get a solicitor.

Is the one you can do yourself enough evidence?

There are so many companies on line that I don’t want to get stung.

You don't have to use a solicitor to enrol a deed poll.

www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/enrol-a-deed-poll-with-the-courts

Check with the bank personally.
I changed back to my maiden name without any other evidence than my birth certificate.
In Scotland deed polls are not required at all, unless under 18

I had similar with my bank and I’d advise you make a fuss and insist they change it without the deed poll evidence. Married women can legally use both their maiden name and married name so you don’t need to change it using deed poll.

When I wanted to change my name on my account, the bank initially insisted I showed evidence of divorce (I wasn’t divorced or separated, it was just that my husband had set up the account at the same time as his and I didn’t register that he’d used his surname for my account so I wanted it changed my I realised). Eventually after escalating the issue and involving a more senior individual, they changed the name without any ‘proof’ of name change.

I had the same i am divorced went to building society told I need a deed poll. Went back another day saw a different person who actually understood the building societies rules, divorce stuff was fine.

I had this when I tried to change from Mrs to Miss (I was keeping my married surname). I was told a flat 'no' from my bank without deed poll. It really winds me up that my marital status is so difficult to change anywhere, when the men just get stay the same without any hassle....

You can make a deed poll yourself
no cost at all -

you just need two witnesses

www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll

no need to enroll for all normal purposes!

@ruthieness

You can make a deed poll yourself no cost at all - you just need two witnesses

www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll

no need to enroll for all normal purposes!

I am a family law solicitor. This is all the answer OP needs. No need to bother with all that nonsense of enrolling it in court.

Are you planning on getting a passport in your maiden name? I changed my name in a slightly unusual way and was advised by a solicitor that you can just start using whatever name you like. I changed my passport first and this seemed to make everything run smoothly. The passport office were fine with it - though they did give me a ring to check I had written down exactly what I wanted on the passport form.

@ruthieness

You can make a deed poll yourself no cost at all - you just need two witnesses

www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll

no need to enroll for all normal purposes!

I did exactly this. Haven't lodged it anywhere, I keep it in my filing drawer at home. Cost me nothing.

I've used the same piece of paper to change EVERYTHING - passport, driving licence, professional qualification certification, 3 banks.

Speak to the manager of your bank. Make a big fuss. There are so many reasons someone might change their name, you don't need a deed poll to do so.

You may not need a deed poll to change your name but certain institutions require you to produce one - eg passport office, banks etc. All change of name deeds are deed polls. You can make one so that it gets enrolled or one that is not. You don’t need an enrolled one in 99.99% of situations.

@cloudwine

I had this when I tried to change from Mrs to Miss (I was keeping my married surname). I was told a flat 'no' from my bank without deed poll. It really winds me up that my marital status is so difficult to change anywhere, when the men just get stay the same without any hassle....

Mrs and Miss aren't legal titles. You can use any one you like. Did the bank really tell you that you need deed poll for this?

CloseYourEyesAndSee Yes they did. It was when I wanted to open a new account and it said Mrs on all the ID I'd taken along. The person I spoke to even went to check with someone else that worked there too. I didn't question it at the time, but wish I had now!

As above about not really needing a deed poll but when I changed my name back again I found it much easier to have one - I got a few authorised copies at the time so I could send them off if necessary without losing the original.

I’d be changing banks if they spouted this nonsense. No matter if you change your name upon marriage, your birth name is always your name

@cloudwine I've changed to ms without an issue so far, the bank haven't issued a new card though because I did say I'm not worried

@JudgeRindersMinder

I’d be changing banks if they spouted this nonsense. No matter if you change your name upon marriage, your birth name is always your name

And logically, if you change banks you only need show them your birth certificate, so there's no need of any other proof. And if you can do this with a new bank the old bank should be able to do the same.

@TrashyPanda

Check with the bank personally. I changed back to my maiden name without any other evidence than my birth certificate. In Scotland deed polls are not required at all, unless under 18

Deed polls aren't a thing in Scotland - you are issued with a new birth certificate if you change your name here. The new birth certificate has a note which says formerly known as old name.

However, to revert to your maiden name all that's required is your birth certificate & proof of divorce.

@cloudwine

CloseYourEyesAndSee Yes they did. It was when I wanted to open a new account and it said Mrs on all the ID I'd taken along. The person I spoke to even went to check with someone else that worked there too. I didn't question it at the time, but wish I had now!

Just goes to show the level of ingrained misogyny that runs through our institutions!!

You don't need a deed poll. Just show your divorce certificate and your birth certificate.

Think it's time for me to go back to the bank and make a fuss if they don't do it! Thank you all- it will be very satisfying to see Miss on everything again

Change your passport first and then use that as ID at the bank

@cloudwine

Think it's time for me to go back to the bank and make a fuss if they don't do it! Thank you all- it will be very satisfying to see Miss on everything again

Normally with account opening everything has to match the documentation that you provide. So if you provide documentation that says Mrs we have to put Mrs.

But once the account is open and functioning it's easy to change you from Mrs to Miss