How can I change my name?

How can i change my name?

• i have my dads last name but want my mums maiden name, theyre divorced but my mum still uses my dads for work and stuff. i tried a deed poll thing online which said it was free then said it cost £48 so left it is deed poll legal, or is there a way i can do it legally? and how much will is cost i'm looking to do it legally, like if i go to the council or something? how much will that be i don't mind doing by the deed poll thing, only if it's free or less than £20 but is it actually legal and do i change my passport straight away or can i still use it until it expires also my provisional has my current name but if i change my last name before i pass my test will i get a free licence with my new name or have to pay again.. ideally i want it legal and all traces of my current last name gone, apart from birth certificate also i'm 20 and live around hertfordshire, united kingdom thanks

• Answer:

  In England & Wales the law states that a person may call themselves by a different name without having to do anything other than just start using a different name. So if you're called Louise Smith, but you want to be known as Louise Jones, then you simply start to call yourself Louise Jones - and that's perfectly legal. However, if you call the Passport Office and say; "my name is now Louise Jones" - they will say; "that's great, but you will need to send us some form of written documentation to confirm your intention to use the name of Louise Jones". Which is what a change of name deed (deed poll) document is, a legal document that confirms a person's intention to stop using their former name, and start using a new name. Simple as that, a legal document confirming an intention. Nothing more, nothing less. As a legal document a deed poll needs to be correctly worded/laid out. Before the Internet if you needed a legal document you would go to a Solicitor who would know the correct wording to use. These days you don't need to go to a Solicitor anymore, instead you can use a specialist online website (prices range from free upwards), or you can purchase a template, or if you find the wording you can type it up yourself! I hope this is helpful, remember in a nutshell - to change your name you just start using a different one, and to use that name on all of your records, you just need a correctly worded legal document called a deed poll.