Help with a research question

Livvie

If someone can answer a question for me, I'd really appreciate it - need it for a part of the novel I'm writing, and my brain appears to be too addled to properly understand what I found on Google.

Can a woman who is estranged from her husband (she's Irish, he's English) change her name by deed poll, and can she change the name of her child too.

I think I've understood it to mean that this can happen, but would like it confirmed if anyone knows please.

Thanks.

Reesy

Hi Livvie,

I don't know the answer, but these questions may (?) help clarify:
- Under what jurisdiction does she / the child live?
- How old is the child?
- Does she want to change the surname or the whole name or what?

Hope this helps clarify the question...

Livvie

Reesy wrote: »

Hi Livvie,

I don't know the answer, but these questions may (?) help clarify:
- Under what jurisdiction does she / the child live?
- How old is the child?
- Does she want to change the surname or the whole name or what?

Hope this helps clarify the question...

She's a Traveller. The child is 8. She wants to go back to her maiden name.

Thanks, Reesy.

pickarooney

I'm pretty sure your marital status has no bearing on your right to change your own name at any time, but I couldn't say for the child.

EileenG

Legally, you can call yourself anything you like as long as it is not for criminal purposes. You don't have to do deed poll or anything similar.

Getting married is a classic example, the woman's name has NOT legally changed, it's just custom to use the name of her husband afterwards. But if she does not inform the bank, gas company, library etc of the new name, she will continue to be known by her maiden name.

If she separates, it's just a matter of telling everyone that she's now reverted to her former name.

Similarly, her child is known by whatever he wants to be called. I was taken aback recently when my 13 year old daughter told me that she had double barrelled her name, and is known at school by both parents' names.

pickarooney

EileenG wrote: »

I was taken aback recently when my 13 year old daughter told me that she had double barrelled her name, and is known at school by both parents' names.

To get her back, change your own name to something ridiculous. She'll get embarrassed by it quicker than you and go back to her original name

EileenG

I have no particular objection, but I suspect that having to sign a name that length will change her her mind.

Livvie

Thanks, everyone.

So can you have legal documents in the name you choose, irrespective of your married name? In particular, a driving licence.

That will be the last question, I promise.

(Till the next...)

EileenG

If she's reverting to her maiden name, no problem, all her main identity documents like birth cert would be in that name anyway.

You can be known by any name you like, but if you want to apply for an official identity document like driving licence or passport, you will need supporting documents if you want to change to a completely different name.

If Mary Smith marries John Brown, she always has a choice of being Mary Smith or Mary Brown. If Mary has always been known by her second name of Theresa, she could get a passport as Theresa Smith or Theresa Brown with no trouble as long as the name featured somewhere on her original documents. If she wants to be Carol Green, she can be known as that, but she would need to do an official name change to get a passport or driving licence in that name.