Changing a child's name

lilrahi

My SIL has 3 children, the eldest and youngest have the same surname (her husbands) and the middle child had been given (for a reason I have been unable to understand "to make it different) another surname.

I told her at the time it was stupid, and that they should all have the same surname but she 'pooh-pooh'ed my suggestions.

Now, apparently the middle child is being teased by friends and cousins that his parents don't love him, he's adopted etc... because he has a different surname than his brothers.

My SIL wants to change his surname to that of his siblings and she's asked me to find out how to do this. I checked and apparently the birth certificate can't be changed and she needs to do a deed poll.

But all the ones are online, are there any real life places she could go to get them and how much would she pay?

skylight

You can change a name at any point - but both parents need to agree. It really is as simple as declaring that from this point you will know be known as XXX and never use your old name. However, this is tricky for "official" purposes (not always accepted) so Deed Polls are the place to go. You can do it online - get them completed properly and thats it. You do not have to go anywhere to sign anything, but if you wanted to spend the money then see a solicitor who can do it all for you; those fees will be very variable.

Or leave things as they are and just change the school records. I did this for my eldest DD when her father and I split when she was 2; she wanted the same name as me so I just changed school and doctors records, leaving passports and stuff in her "real" name. No problem at all and easy to change back to the original name when her father and I got back together many moons later and married.

The birth certificate does not/cannot change though.


What an odd thing for your sister to do though - give a different name just because!

flutterby_lil

I have just done it online, via deedpoll.org.uk

Cost £33 but get a £10 reduction if on certain benefits such as WTC, JSA.

The birth certificate doesn't change like you say, the deed poll legal document is in addition to the birth certificate when needed.

daska

You don't necessarily need both parents to agree, what you need is everyone with parental responsibility to agree. Was she married to the father when the child was born and how old is the child? If married it's automatic for the father to get parental responsibility. If not married the father may or may not have automatically gained parental responsibility depending on when the child was born and whether he is named on the birth certificate.

Guidelines as follows:
(from 1 December 2003) by jointly registering the birth of the child with the mother
by a parental responsibility agreement with the mother
by a parental responsibility order, made by a court

The situation at school can be remedied by asking the school to use the name he would prefer to be known by - they will have to keep a record of his legal name while it is still his legal name IYSWIM.

There is no legal need to pay a solicitor or register the new name (in fact there is no register unless you opt to enroll it which the majority of people don't do for various reasons, not least the cost) BUT financial institutions often insist on a document prepared and witnessed by a solicitor.

dizziblonde

Mine was done via the court when I was a kid (father wouldn't consent - well, father was too drunk to open any envelopes from the court as a general rule) - but much better to get it done so there IS a papertrail linking your old name to your new name than to just start using it... because on various times in my life I've had it queried that my birth certificate's in a different name (particularly since it's a different name to my CRB check) so having the paperwork confirming the change is handy to have (and I keep it with my birth certificate). I also, on the suggestion of the registrar, have my marriage certificate worded as Miss X, previously known as Miss Y to further clarify the link - but like I say, I work in supply teaching where people are absolutely hot on ID checks and security... and yep, I chose to change mine as a child because I was sick to death of explaining why I had a different surname to siblings and parents (I was the child of the first marriage).

Ellejmorgan

It's called a change of name deed you need to find a solicitor that does them, this is £78. They will ask you to go to another solicitor and have it sworn which takes 1 minute and costs £5..
The whole process takes half hour..

katiefinger

dizziblonde wrote: »

I also ... have my marriage certificate worded as Miss X, previously known as Miss Y to further clarify the link.

Me too. I was a trifle irked about this. After all, my name had been legally changed so why did my previous name need to be on the certificate too! As it happens, my dad had also changed his name to something completely different so my marriage certificate is such a mish-mash of names that future descendents are going to find it riveting!

:rotfl:

lilrahi, I would imagine that a solicitor would be the best place to find advice on officially/legally changing a child's surname by Deed Poll. Also, it's useful to bear in mind that the child will have to spend his entire life carting around that extra documentation with his birth certificate. It's a small price to pay for happiness though. However, in the meantime there isn't anything stopping your SiL from letting people know that she would like her child to be known by a different name, but if it isn't changed officially, legal documentation (such as passports) will always need to be in the birth name.

Shelldean

birth certs can be changed I have changed my three boys.
But it will depend on circumstances.

All three were registered in my maiden name and the twins only had me on the cert. When I married their dad ( twins were 6 and youngest was 3) all three were registered into their dads name. He was also added to the twins certs. This was all done on the recommendation of the registrar. Apparently as I'd married their dad I legitimised their births. If a person was to search for their births they would automatically be given the latter ones with married surname. I have been told it is now impossible to get a copy of the maiden name certs.

SO names can be changed but it will depend on the circumstances.

On the other hand DD was born in marriage. So both myself and her dad were named on the cert. We then split.
When I found out I was expecting twins, I didnt want my kids to have different surnames. Twins dad didnt want his kids to have my married name and ex said his DD wasn't have OH surname, but agreed to letting me deed poll it to my maiden name.....hence twins registered in my maiden name (dad not named as we were having issues at the time) When youngest was born he was also registered into maiden name so he was same as his siblings. Dad was present to register with me so was added.
Then OH and I decided to marry. Three boys changed surnames soon after wedding. I spoke with EX about changing DD to married surname, so she had the same as her siblings. He agreed. So I deed polled it again.

All easy enough to do.

Hope this helps


edited to add... DD produced her birth cert and deed poll when she needed to, Never had any problems and she was issued a passport w/o issue too ( she now uses that as ID as it's easier)

diable

I'd tell your SIL its her mess and so she should sort it out. Maybe the child does have another father?