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Hi.

A few years ago, I started at university not long after my marriage ended, and needed my bank account in my maiden name. I did an unenrolled deed poll as evidence of my name change, fully witnessed, which the bank accepted. I have since misplaced the original document I used.
I am now trying to sort a pension and the firm is asking for a copy of the deed poll. Any idea of what I can do now?

Make a new unenrolled deed poll.

I can evidence the name change, the point is, it needs to show the correct date.

No it doesn't. It simply says that since x date you have been known by your new name and that this new deed confirms that.

I've just checked the gov.uk site, and this is the wording it needs:

“Signed as a deed on [date] as [old name] and [new name] in the presence of [witness 1 name] of [witness 1 address], and [witness 2 name] of [witness 2 address].

Doesn't that imply that the date I sign is the date of the name change?

The wording on .gov.uk is not compulsory. It is sample wording that meets the legal requirements, but you can change it as long as it explicitly states your new and old names and your current home address, and clearly states that you have given up your old name and will use your new name at all times. It also needs to say you are signing it as a deed and you need two witnesses to your signature. You could, for example, change the first paragraph to say:

I, [New Full Name] (formerly known as [Old Full Name]) of [address], do solemnly and sincerely declare that I have continuously and exclusively used the name [New Full Name] for all purposes, records, documents, and dealings since [Date / Year when the name change originally happened in practice], and that I abandoned the use of my former name [Old Full Name] from that date.

That would be a valid unenrolled deed poll backdating the change of name to whenever you actually started using it.

+1

That is so useful, thank you so much.