Changing child’s surname by deed poll - can anyone offer some guidance please?

[ThunderLightning]

Hi, I’m looking for some advice from anyone who is knowledgeable about changing a DC’s surname by deed poll. My husband and I have been married for 10 years and have one DC (aged 2). For the first few years after we married I kept my maiden name, but when we started trying for a baby, I decided to change my surname to match my husband’s, just because I wanted us and any potential children to all have the same name. However, a few years on and I still don’t like it and haven’t got used to it. It’s not a particularly nice name and doesn’t work well with my first name. My husband does, however, have a lovely middle name that can also be used as a surname, and after much discussion to make sure we were both happy, we’ve decided to change ours, and our DC’s surname, to DH’s middle name. So DH will just drop his last name and use his middle name, and DC and I will take it on as our surnames. However, tonight I have had a look at the deed poll process and I’m finding it hard to process - I know that it’s good that both parents are in agreement but there seems to be quite a few requirements in terms of getting declarations/documents witnessed and signed by friends/solicitors? Have any of you been through this process, and how difficult was it? I can see that adults don’t need to enrol a name change through the courts, and can instead use a free template, but from what I can see it seems that children’s names have to be properly enrolled - is that correct? Any advice appreciated. Thank you.

I'm really curious to know what your husbands surname is, as my partners surname is in a polite way ridiculous haha, I am dreading taking his name on when we marry as my name is going to sound horrific.

I recently change my daughters surname by deed poll, think I used UK deed polls. It was very straight forward, and I got her school (witness) to sign it and once that's done you send it to the official bodies such as HMRC, passports etc... Then that makes it official as all the important documents will have their changed name.

That’s interesting @puta91, so you didn’t need to enrol it through the courts at all? Do you mind me asking what it cost doing it through them?

My advice would be to not change your name! Stick with your maiden name if you like it, take one from elsewhere in the family or choose a completely new one between you. I didn’t realise how important my name was to me, until I had this one and realised that it’s not ‘me’ and never will be! Luckily DH is happy to change it.

I changed dd1s surname (her choice) once I married DH (her stepdad). I fortunately was the only one with parental responsibility (due to timing of birth ex didn't have automatic pr).

The process was really straight forward. Made appointment with solicitors, gave details and the documents were drawn up almost immediately and then I signed (dd1 was 7) and solicitor witnessed and that was it. It cost about £70 in think.

Really easy to do.

Nooo, I didn't need to send it off to courts or anything. And it cost around £20, I thought hmmm that can't be right, but it's all legit.

I want to keep my maiden name, its my dad's name and there is only 3 of us left with his name. X

Thanks for the info, good to hear that it was straightforward for both of you. I’ll do a bit more research before deciding which route to take. Do you receive a proper, official looking document to show people?