Deed poll how many witnesses

Book an appointment How much does a deed poll cost? You cannot obtain further copies afterwards, so make sure you order as many as you need at the time you sign your deed poll What is a deed poll? A deed poll commits you to the following actions: to renounce and abandon the use of your former name s to use your new name s at all times requires everybody to address you only by your new name s Adults Anyone over the age of 16 can change their name by deed poll.

Children A person who has parental responsibility must apply for the name change on behalf of the child. What about my name can I change? You can: change your entire name add or remove surnames, forenames and middle names rearrange your names alter spellings of names Although the possibilities are almost limitless there are some basic conditions that your new name will have to meet.

We will not accept names in the following circumstances: If the name is offensive. If the name is impossible to pronounce. If the name contains numbers, symbols or punctuation marks. Recognized accents are accepted, but be aware that the use of accents in the UK is not widespread and confusion can arise if they are inconsistently used. The name must contain at least one forename and at least one surname. You may not add a title such as Lord or Duke unless you can provide documentary proof of your entitlement to usage.

Purchased titles are not accepted. Academic titles such as Professor will only be included if documentary proof is provided. Purchased qualifications will not be accepted. Amusing names can be accepted, but you should consider carefully if this will have consequences in your personal or professional life.

Do I really need to change my name by deed poll? There are times when a deed poll is not needed to change a name: after marriage or civil partnership. A woman who wants to change her surname to that of her husband uses her marriage certificate.

A civil partner uses their civil partnership certificate to change their surname after divorce. Most Popular. Change your Child's Name. Choosing a Witness If you are a British National Resident and are Living in the United Kingdom the Witness you choose needs to live inside the United kingdom and be at least 18 years of age or over.

They must of known you for a considerable amount of time They need to know who you are by your original name but they also need to be independent from you. This basically means that they cannot be a relative or your partner or someone that lives in the same household with you. They must also have full mental capacity, this means that they must be able to make decisions for themselves without being affected by an impairment or disturbance of the mind Disability or Illness.

Everyone has full mental capacity by default unless they are proven not to be. Apart from all of the above conditions, your witness could be anyone, for example - - A friend - Neighbour - Colleague - Doctor - Accountant - Any other professional What if I am going to use my Deed Poll abroad? To find a Solicitor near you simply use the following link. This advertisement may be used to prove you have gone through a name change. The wording in the advert should make it clear that you are no longer using your old name and that you have a new name.

If you get a statutory declaration, it is legal proof that you have undertaken a name change. A statutory declaration must be witnessed by a solicitor but not the person who prepared your statutory declaration or a Justice of the Peace JP and be signed by you using your new name.

However, there are a few magistrates courts that are not prepared to witness a name change statutory declaration because they think that a deed poll should be used instead. You will need to explain to them that the statutory declaration is just evidence showing that you are using another name and therefore there is no need for you to use a deed poll, which is a more formal method. There is one main difference between using a statutory declaration or a deed poll, and that is that a statutory declaration tends to be more expensive as solicitors usually levy a fee for its preparation and witnessing it.

A small fee may be required by the court if you use a JP to witness your declaration. To use a more formal method of affirming your change of name, a deed poll is more appropriate. One of the times you may need to provide a deed poll is when you are putting in an application for a passport. A person under the age of 18 years old may only have his or her name changed by using a deed poll if the parent responsible for the young person goes through with the procedure.

If the young person is over 16 years of age, then he or she is required to give consent if a parent wants to have his or her name changed. If you prepare the deed poll yourself, you should make sure you sign it only when a witness is present. This person has to add his or her name, home address and current occupation. If you wish to have your deed poll enrolled, you will need two witnesses. The Supreme Court Central Office is the body responsible for the enrolment of a deed poll, and a small cost is levied for the use of the service.

This is not essential, but going through the process of enrolling a deed poll ensures that the name change is on public record. The name change is announced in the London Gazette , too. It may not be illegal to call yourself something vulgar or offensive, but if you apply for a passport, HM Passport Office will reject your application. Other record holders are likely do the same.

If you cannot have all your documents updated in your new name, then effectively you have not changed your name — your name is legally established by usage.

For more information, see the section on vulgar, offensive, or blasphemous names. Note that it is illegal to change your name to anything that promotes racial or religious hatred, derides minority groups, or promotes the use of drugs. We will refuse any application of this kind. Yes, there is no law preventing you from being known by a single name, or mononym — that is, a first name only, with no surname — and HM Passport Office should accept such a name.

For more details, see the section on single names. Yes, you can have any reason you like to change your name so long as it is not fraudulent. However, a deed poll should be used for changing your name for all purposes. If official record holders — such as HM Passport Office — have reason to believe that you are not changing your name for all purposes, they will not accept your deed poll unless you provide additional documentary evidence that shows otherwise.

Drawing up your own deed poll is like baking your own bread — if you have the time and the motivation to do it yourself, it may well be a more satisfying and enjoyable experience for you. It will cost you less money, but it will also take up more of your time. If you want to go down the path of researching what you have to do and understanding how the process works, we encourage you to do it. You may even like to make use of our free deed poll service to help you draw up your document.

We are prepared if necessary to guarantee and to justify that any deed poll we have issued has been drawn up correctly and according to the law. If any record holder is in any doubt about your deed poll, we will help you, and you are free to refer them to us — this is part of our service.

Our service also includes advising you on any particular conditions that will apply to your situation — for example, whether or not your deed poll needs to be witnessed by a solicitor, who you need to advise about your change of name and in what order , and in the case of children who needs to give their consent to the change of name. No, the deed polls we issue are private documents, and they are not available for public inspection.

In fact, we do not keep permanent records of the personal data on the deed polls we issue. For further information about how we store personal data, see our privacy policy.

If you are searching for historical evidence of a change of name, there are several sources where you can look for records, but note that you may simply find that no record exists.

For further details of sources where you can search for other forms of evidence, have a look at our guide to researching changes of name. How to change your name How to apply Frequently asked questions Who we are Testimonials. Frequently asked questions Contents What is a deed poll? Do I really need a deed poll? Who can change their name? What sort of name can you choose? Why would you want to change your name? Who should you tell about your new name?

Can you change your birth certificate? Do you have to register a deed poll? How old do you have to be to change your name?

How many times can you change your name by deed poll? How much does a deed poll cost? What price reductions are there for multiple applications? What other costs will there be to change my name? How long will it take to change my name? Is there an official deed poll office? Is a deed poll proof of identity? Do I have to send you my identification documents? Do I need to send my deed poll back to you after I have signed it? Can I order duplicates copies of my deed poll? How many duplicates of my deed poll should I order?

How do I get certified copies of a previously issued deed poll? Who can act as a witness when I sign my deed poll? When do I need to have my deed poll witnessed by a solicitor? When do I need to have my deed poll legalised? Will HM Passport Office accept my deed poll? Can I use my deed poll abroad? Do I need to take my deed poll when I go abroad? Will my new passport mention my old name? Can I change my name if there are criminal proceedings against me?

Can I change my name if I have a criminal record? Can I change my name by deed poll if I was born in Scotland? Can I change my name by deed poll if I am a British national living abroad? Can I change the name on my birth certificate?