Rough Cost of Hiring a Solicitor?

alexa5x5

Hi,
After the death of my parents when I was a kid my Grandparents got legal guardianship of me and changed my surname (18 years ago). Well I found out yesterday there has been a mistake and I’m still registered with my birth name with a couple of government agencies. My Grandparents have since passed away so I have no idea where any documentation they filled out might be. I contacted the citizen advice centre today and they recommended I seek legal advice.

I am going to a free legal advice office on Monday but I believe I may have to hire a solicitor to sort out this mess for me, or at least deal with an affidavit if my name hasn’t been changed correctly. Does anyone have a rough estimate how much it costs to hire a solicitor?

dermot_sheehan

You can execute and file the deed poll yourself. The Legal aid board can also have one done for you but you may be waiting a while depending on which law centre you go to.

Victor

I understand that you may feel anxious about this, but it is unlikely that this is a decision that you need to rush into. For the moment, your name is the one you normally use in everyday life.

However, it may be useful to have things sorted out if getting married/divorced or sorting out official ID or visas.

alexa5x5

Victor wrote: »

I understand that you may feel anxious about this, but it is unlikely that this is a decision that you need to rush into. For the moment, your name is the one you normally use in everyday life.

However, it may be useful to have things sorted out if getting married/divorced or sorting out official ID or visas.

That’s the weird thing, I’ve had a passport in my name for 13 years. I’ve also had 2 visas and my PPS number is in my name. It’s only the social welfare office that says my name is still registered as my birth name.

From speaking to a few people I understand it can cost from a few hundred to 1000euro to hire a solicitor to do this. Ouch! :eek:

dermot_sheehan

If you have a passport in your name, just take this to the social welfare office and explain to them that a deed poll was executed many years ago and you cant find it.

At common law you can just change your name by usuage and all a deed poll does is provide written evidence that declared on a deed executed with yourself (why its a deed "poll") that you wish to be known as something else. Many people change their surname every year without one and government agencies accept a marraige certificate as written evidence of the chance since they recognise the western custom of one spouse taking the surname of another.

In any case getting a new deed poll executed is cheap enough and within the ability of most people to do themselves. The central office of the high court has precedents and theres a shop nearby that sells deed paper.

Victor

gabhain7 wrote: »

deed paper.

Is this a form or just a specific type of paper?

dermot_sheehan

It's thick heavy paper (not sure how much g/sm^2) that lasts along time and is used for deeds for land sales etc.

Deeds executed 100 years ago are still in good shape printed on it. I'm not sure how finicky the High Court central office is on using this paper, but the norm is certainly to execute it on deed paper.