Frequently Asked Questions

A Deed Poll is a legally binding document that proves a change of name. It can be used as legal evidence to show that you have changed your name. It is also known as a "Change of Name Deed" or "Deed of Change of Name". In order for the deed poll to be valid, it needs to be signed in the presence of a witness. On your Deed Poll, you declare that you;

- have stopped using your former name,

- have started using your new name and

- give authorisation for organisations and people to address you by your new name.

Yes, if all those who have parental responsibility for the child concerned, i.e. the mother and or father consent to the name change.

If you have sole parental responsibility, you do not need anyone else's consent to change your child's name.

If the child's mother and father both have parental responsibility, then they both need to agree on the change of name.

If both parents have parental responsibility, but permission cannot be obtained from one of them, i.e. because they refuse to consent, or because their whereabouts are unknown, then a specific court order needs to be obtained.

Anyone over the age of 18 can witness your Deed Poll as long as they know you and they are independent of you. 'Independent' means they are not a relative, partner or someone who lives at the same address as you.

You do not need a solicitor or public notary to act as a witness to your deed poll if you are British and live in the UK unless you a resident of Jersey.

If you are a British citizen  and live overseas, you might need to have your Deed Poll witnessed by a lawyer or a notary public. Please seek legal advice.

If you are not a British and live in the UK, you should check with your embassy or seek legal advice. 

There is no official central register of name changes in the UK. You do not need to register your Deed Poll anywhere.

Enrolling your Deed Poll means it will be lodged in the Enrolment Books of the Supreme Court of Judicature. Enrolling a deed poll is not necessary and has no legal benefit. The process can be complicated and expensive.

There is no difference in term of effectiveness between an enrolled Deed Poll and the Deed Poll we sell.

You can change your name for any reason, provided that it is not for deceptive or fraudulent purposes. However, names should not:

- Be impossible to pronounce or very long.

- Includes numbers or symbols.

- Be vulgar, offensive or blasphemous. 

- Promote criminal activities and racial or religious hatred.

- Be a trademark or be subject to copyright.

- For Home Office applications, include diacritical marks (‌accents, cedillas, circumflexes, umlauts, etc).

It is also possible to change your title on your Deed Poll, as long as it is a genuine title.

Once you have completed and signed your Deed Poll, it should be accepted by all UK public departments and private organisations.

However, some factors need to be taken into consideration, such as your nationality and country of residence.