Any Questions?
What is a Deed Poll?
A Deed Poll becomes a Legally Binding Document once it has been witnessed (Executed).
This basically means that you need to sign the Deed Poll in the correct places in-front of an Independent Witness.
What does a Deed Poll mean?
In your Deed Poll you declare that you will –
Stop using your Current Name | Use your New Name for everything, this includes Banking, Driving License and Passport | Give authorisation for Organisations, Government Departments, Companies and People to Address you by your first name .
Who needs to be a witness when I sign my Deed Poll?
- Is aged 18 years or more and is resident in the U.K.
- Knows who you are
- is independent from you — that is, they should not be a relative or your partner, or someone you live with
- has mental capacity — that is, they must be able to make decisions for themself without being affected by any impairment
- can be physically present to watch you sign the deed poll
Can I change my name to anything?
You are free to change any part of your name — you can change your first name, your middle names, and your surname. You can add or remove names, and you can change the spelling of names.
In practice, you also have to choose a name that official bodies will accept. In particular, UK Passport Office have their own rules about what sort of name can be put in a passport.
Your name is legally established by usage, so if your name is rejected by UK Passport Office, then effectively you have not changed your name.
