Advice on changing my first name...

Tunstallstoven

Hi all

Firstly, a shameful apology! :embarasse I wrote about this (TWICE!) quite some time ago but have never got around to sorting it. This time I will... asap... - I promise!

The situation is that my name is Massimo on my birth certificate and with the NHS, and Max on everything else. I want it to be the same on everything so that there is no confusion or problems caused either while I'm still here or when I'm gone :A

I've been reading up on it today because I need to renew my passport, and I think that going with Max will be the easiest option. My surgery are happy to update me to Max if I take in the necessary ID. So that will just leave the birth certificate. From what I understand, I can change my name myself by deed poll and it wouldn't cost a thing. So that's what I'm hoping to do. But will it be enough? I've also read about enrolling a deed poll (and having it published in the London Gazette) but I'm not sure how necessary that is in my situation, and don't want to spend the £36 if I don't have to. So can I get away without doing that?

And more generally, does my plan sound like a good one.

Sorry to go over old ground and many thanks for any help received.

Max

TonyMMM

A deed poll, (enrolled or not) will have no effect at all on the name on your birth certificate. That is not going to change whatever you do later.

Tunstallstoven

TonyMMM wrote: »

That is not going to change whatever you do later.

Even if I get the tippex out?

Fair call, I worded it a bit stupidly on the first post!

But I guess what my questions boil down to are:

- If everything apart from my birth certificate is in the same name (Max), and I have a DIY deed poll stating my name is now Max (but was formerly Massimo on the B cert) will this put me in good stead for the rest of my life when it comes to officialdom (marriage, wills, probate, etc)?

- Do I need to "enroll" the deed poll or would it make no difference in this scenario?

Many thanks for the help

Mojisola

Seagull27 wrote: »

Do I need to "enroll" the deed poll or would it make no difference in this scenario?

No.

If you want to do something that feels 'legal', go to a local solicitor.

Otherwise -
Make your own deed poll

If you don’t want to register your deed poll, you can make your own instead, using the following wording:

“I [old name] of [your address] have given up my name [old name] and have adopted for all purposes the name [new name].

Signed as a deed on [date] as [old name] and [new name] in the presence of [witness 1 name] of [witness 1 address], and [witness 2 name] of [witness 2 address].

[your new signature], [your old signature]

[witness 1 signature], [witness 2 signature]”
https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll

gwynlas

You might as well stick with your birth name as most people would assume that Max is a short version of Maxwell, Marcus or Mackintosh similarly as Frank usually short version of Francis, !!!! for Richard etc,
If you are known as Max simply apply for your driving license, passport etc in this name you can call yourself anything as long as it is not intended to deceive,

jackieblack

gwynlas wrote: »

You might as well stick with your birth name as most people would assume that Max is a short version of Maxwell, Marcus or Mackintosh,

The two people I know as Max are actually named Maximus and Maximillion

Tunstallstoven

At the end of the day I just want the quickest, most stress free and easiest solution. And to my mind that would be keeping Max, because the only two things I'll have to do then is:

1. Change my name with the NHS.
2. Do a DIY Deed Poll.

And that should get things done and dusted.

If I were to keep Massimo, I'd potentially have to change a whole load of stuff to get everything the same.

So that's the plan - unless of course I'm missing something?

Thanks so much for all the helpful replies.

kirtsypoos

I changed my name by deed poll with a solicitor and it only cost £38 so not bank breaking if you wanted to go down that route rather than DIY.

Tunstallstoven

Thanks Kirsty. Did you do it that way to save time/hassle? Or are there other benefits to having it done with a solicitor?

ceb1995

Seagull27 wrote: »

Even if I get the tippex out?

Fair call, I worded it a bit stupidly on the first post!

But I guess what my questions boil down to are:

- If everything apart from my birth certificate is in the same name (Max), and I have a DIY deed poll stating my name is now Max (but was formerly Massimo on the B cert) will this put me in good stead for the rest of my life when it comes to officialdom (marriage, wills, probate, etc)?

- Do I need to "enroll" the deed poll or would it make no difference in this scenario?

Many thanks for the help

The difference between enrolled and non enrolled isn't much except in my experience my fiance's and I's marriage certificate is going to say "current name" formerly known as "old name" as both our surnames were changed by deed polls which weren't enrolled (we haven't written our wills yet, waiting till we're married but there's no need to mention former names in them that i know of) . Otherwise them not being enrolled has never made a difference for either of us.

Slinky

Seagull27 wrote: »

Thanks Kirsty. Did you do it that way to save time/hassle? Or are there other benefits to having it done with a solicitor?

I did mine with a Deed poll company, there are several online. The advantage this had was that I was able to send it back to them, get several certified copies (£2 each IIRC) and used the certified copies to send to banks, officialdom etc. Saved the worry of the original going missing or getting battered about/stapled as several of the copies did. I was also able to inform more than one company/organisation at a time rather than having the 'name change admin' dragging out over several weeks with the one important piece of paper going back and forth.