Changing Children's surnames

Mojisola

!!!!!! wrote: »

That's the legal standpoint, what happens in reality may well be different.

Telling everybody that Peter Jones is to be known as Peter Smith is still a name change that needs everybody's approval even if no deed poll is done. If done without a deed poll or some sort of formal documentation then this opens up a can of worms for the child in later life as there is no evidence of a formal name change should he/she attempt to get a passport in the new name for example

Both parents should be in contact with the children's schools and it should be on the children's records that the father hasn't given permission for any name change. The school will have to abide by that.

System

Look at Iceland with surnames! From our viewpoint that is a nightmare

valkirn

Heffi1 wrote: »

If you are listed on the birth certificate as father then I would imagine that the children would take your surname.

My childrens father is on their birth cert but they all have my last name.
It all depends on the people at the time and the reasons.

As for changing the names as per the original question i dont think she can without permission from you

This is what i found on the deed poll site

A child's legal name can easily be changed by Deed Poll providing everyone with parental responsibility (PR) for the child consents to the name change. If your child is 16 years of age or over (or approaching their 16th birthday), they must apply for their own Deed Poll for which parental consent is not required.

iammumtoone

My son has his fathers surname and whilst I agree it can be a bit awkward sometimes having to explain the two names and the fact I get called Mrs X (I hate that lol). I would not dream of changing his name, he already has to contend with the fact his father no longer lives with us, to take a further part of his father (ie the name) away from him in my opinion would be heartless. If the child is young it is different but at six the child will understand that they have their fathers name.

Pricivius

Please be aware that as far as I know, whilst permission is needed from all with parental responsibility to FORMALLY change a child's surname, no such permission is needed to do so informally.

Ignoring the rights or wrongs of changing children's names, my mother changed my surname when she remarried when I was 7. She knew my father would not agree so it was not done formally, but I was registered everywhere with the new surname (bank accounts, school, doctor etc...) without difficulty. Many years later and the "new" surname remains my surname, although it has never been formally changed. My passport is in my "new" surname with my birth surname as an "also known as".

So, whilst it cannot be done formally without consent, it can be done informally, at least it was in my instance.

Mojisola

Pricivius wrote: »

Ignoring the rights or wrongs of changing children's names, my mother changed my surname when she remarried when I was 7.

If your father knew and objected to it, he could have stopped her.

SingleSue

The boys, myself and my ex husband all have the same surname. I didn't go back to my maiden name when we divorced as I didn't want to have a different surname to the children.

Unfortunately, now they are growing up, they are making their own minds up and eldest has already double barrelled his surname unofficially and middle son is wanting to change his surname to my maiden name officially!

paulineb_2

Im in Scotland and although I think people can change their name by deed poll, its less common here. When my brother was born, he took the name of my mums second husband, he wasnt his father, my brothers father has seen him a couple of times in his life and has never had any input into his life. My mum and my brothers dad split up while she was pregnant.

When my mum divorced, she changed her name back to her first married name, she doesnt like her maiden name, my brother was always known by that name as well. When he was 17, he needed a passport and signed an official document, a declaration, I witnessed it, cost about 35 quid, just to say he had always been known by that name and wasnt wanting to change his name for any fraudulent purposes. So his surname that he was known as most of his life was now his legal name.

Obviously it was easier for him as there were no fathers involved and no one objecting. But my point of view is, Id be asking why the mum wants to change the name the kids have now and then take it from there.

I agree, you can informally be known as any name you like, as I said my brother had the same surname as me from when he was two years old, all through school, thats the name thats on his exam certs, he just needed to change it formally when he needed a passport, as it would be a bit ridiculous getting a passport in the surname that youve not been known as since you were two.