Change of Name Deeds
A Change of Name Deed is a legal document used when a person wishes to change their name, for example from John Smith to John Jones. In English law, anyone can change their name without needing a written document, and provided they don’t do it so as to pretend they have a Title (such as “Lord Jones”), or to commit fraud. In practice, however, you need to have a legal document if you want your new name to be accepted by the Passport Office, or a number of other organisations.
Although Change of Name Deeds are often called a “Deed Poll”, that is not correct. A Deed Poll is a more formal, and much more expensive, way of changing your name. It is only needed in a very small number of cases.
Our charge for a Change of Name Deed is £60.00 plus V.A.T. of £12.00, so a total of £72.00. For that, you will be able to sign the Deed at our offices, so we can make sure it is signed correctly and is valid. You will receive the original Deed, and five copies certified by us as being true copies of the original.
One particular advantage of using our service is that you also get the benefit of our legal advice. This is especially important if you want to change the name of a child, which means anyone under 18. There are strict legal rules as to who can change a child’s name. If you get it wrong, not only is the Deed not valid but, in certain cases, the person who signs it will have committed Contempt of Court. There are a number of internet based companies offering Change of Name Deeds, but few include legal advice and a personal service.