My divorce should be finalised very soon and I’m considering dropping my married name. However, I don’t want to revert to my maiden name, and there are no family names I like enough to use.
But there is a name which is loosely associated with a dear friend of mine which I would like to use, and he is in full agreement.
So what I’d like to know is - what is involved in making this my new, fully legal name? I know I could “be known by” any name I want on one level, but I want this to be my completely “official” name. Can this be done, and if so how?
I expect you wanted an expert to answer your query, instead I’ve poked my nose in:eek: I looked it up and here’s some of what I found.
Quote
“In the UK anyone aged 16 years or over can change their name simply by adopting a new name. This is called change of name by usage. If however you need to change official records and documents, like your passport, bank account, property deeds etc. you will need to change your name by Deed Poll. On completing and signing a Deed Poll in the presence of a witness, you will be entitled to insist that all identification and documentation is transferred into your new name. The only documents that cannot be changed are birth, marriage and decree absolute certificates. You must however be 18 years or older to make a Deed Poll, and it must not be made for the purpose of fraud.”
This piques my curiosity. Let’s say you change your name by way of completing a Deed Poll, and you don’t do it for the purpose of fraud. Then some time later, it dawns on you that your newly-acquired name could help you out with some fraud scheme you think up. You get caught in your fraud. Do they make you change your name back?
After all, you didn’t change your name for the purpose of fraud – you thought of that later. But that’s hard to prove.
and I’m considering dropping my married name. However, I don’t want to revert to my maiden name, and there are no family names I like enough to use.