There are a lot of possible reasons why a person would like to change their name. It may be due to widowhood, being a transgender, being a crime witness, or simply because you don’t like the name you have. Regardless of why you want to change your name, it’s an important step for you.
By changing your name, you not only change how people will call you but also your identity. And, by changing your identity you become someone else, on paper and emotionally. Yes, changing your identity will affect you emotionally, too. So, you need to be sure you want to do it.
If you are ready to meet your “new you”, there are some procedures you need to follow in order to change your name. This is because you will change name on birth certificate, thus erasing who you used to be. You will also change your name on all of your documents, such as national ID, passport, bank accounts, and so on. Therefore, you need to know all the things you should do in order to legally change your name.
Where To Start?
As with every identity change, such as when getting married, the first thing you should have is a birth certificate. This is because the birth certificate is the original document which contains information about your mother and father (either both biological or one biological and the other a partner), your birth date and time, place of birth, weight, and your name and surname. Once you have your birth certificate, you can apply for a Deed Poll. This is the document which contains the information regarding your name change, with your new name on.
If in the past, you had to go to certain institutions to change your name, now you can do it online. It’s much easier, faster, and you don’t have to bother knocking from door to door and ask about the documents needed or ask about the process itself. You just apply online in a few simple steps.
The Steps:
- If you have chosen a certified online deed poll provider, you can apply by leaving your personal information on their site.
- Pay for the deed poll with a card, including PayPal, credit or debit card.
- Order your deed poll, which will be sent to your door in a couple of days. Along with the document, in the envelop you will find copies if you have ordered them, as well as a guide on how to execute the deed poll. It may also include a list of institutions you will have to notify once your name is changed legally along with a cover letter sample.
You Have Received Your Deed Poll, Now What?
When you receive your deed poll, you have to execute it. That means you have to sign, date, and have it witnessed. Your witness doesn’t have to be a solicitor. It can be anyone who is at least 18 years old and knows you. However, it cannot be a family, a relative or someone who lives in the same house as you, but someone you know that is independent of you.
Once you sign and witness your deed poll, you have to notify relevant institutions, authorities, and record-holders. These include HM Passport Office, DVLA, banks, hospital and/or private practices, service providers, finance companies, your employer, and all other private or national institutions and organization which have you in their records. You can do this by sending a cover letter in which you include information regarding your name change along with your deed poll.
When purchasing a certified, enrolled deed poll online, make sure you also purchase duplicate, certified, and legalized copies. This is because many record-holders, such as the HM passport office or the DVLA won’t accept a photocopy. And, sending the original to each of them will take a long time because there’s only one original, so you will have to wait for each of them to return it to you before sending it to the next one. Now, let’s see what the difference between them.
- The duplicate copies are the same as the original and you need to sign and witness all of them.
- The certified copies are photocopies of the original deed poll but are certified as the true copy of the original by a notary public solicitor or another legal commissioner.
- The legalized copies are actually copies of the document which are legalized for the purpose of being recognized and used abroad.
Most people think that changing the name is very complicated. Well, you see it isn’t if you do it online because there are several simple steps you need to follow. Plus, you get all guidelines on what to do and how to do it. It can’t get any simpler than that.
*Collaborative post