When is a Deed Poll for change of name needed?

Ormus

The passport office have no interest in Deed Polls for change of name, all they require is 2 years proof of usage of the new name.

A school will, in all likelihood, accept whatever name the parents wish their kids to be called. After 2 years, the kids can get a passport in the new name.

So is there ever a necessity for a Deed Poll?

dermot_sheehan

If you want written evidence that you've decided to change your name.

At common law a name is simply what people called you and your birth cert was a record of what your parents called you when you were born.

You can adopt a new name simply by usage, but a deed poll as a formal record that you've decided to change your name is sometimes required by officialdom.

Ormus

dermot_sheehan wrote: »

If you want written evidence that you've decided to change your name.

At common law a name is simply what people called you and your birth cert was a record of what your parents called you when you were born.

You can adopt a new name simply by usage, but a deed poll as a formal record that you've decided to change your name is sometimes required by officialdom.

Ok, thanks Dermot.

So it would seem that if a person changes their name without a deed poll, after 2 years usage, they can get a passport and this would trump the deed poll in all situations as an official document.

Our man in Havana

Not quite true.

You will get some government departments like social welfare looking for deed polls.

Ormus

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Not quite true.

You will get some government departments like social welfare looking for deed polls.

Even in a situation where a woman switches her and her kids surname to her maiden name and they have 2 years usage and a passport in the maiden name?

Our man in Havana

No. In that case they would accept birth certs.

I am talking from my own experience. A man changes his name. They wanted a deed poll.

Ormus

Our man in Havana wrote: »

No. In that case they would accept birth certs.

I am talking from my own experience. A man changes his name. They wanted a deed poll.

Ah ok gotcha.

I guess they're a bit more relaxed about maiden names.

Still think its unreasonable of them to require a pointless document like that.

Lollymcd

It's alright saying that you need two years usage but you also need to provide proof, for example bank statements, I'm not sure how a bank would feel about changing the names on your accounts from Mary Smith to Biggles... these are the kinds of changes that require deed poll.

Ormus

Lollymcd wrote: »

It's alright saying that you need two years usage but you also need to provide proof, for example bank statements, I'm not sure how a bank would feel about changing the names on your accounts from Mary Smith to Biggles... these are the kinds of changes that require deed poll.

Well yes, when I say 2 years usage, of course I mean 2 years proof of usage.

If Mary Biggles was down as your maiden name on your marriage cert and you have a new passport in the name Mary Biggles, household utility bills, possibly a letter from a local garda, priest, doctor confirming usage, I think a bank would be ok with it.

Lollymcd

You're not getting what I'm saying, it's extraordinary changes of name that need deed poll, like Mary Smith wanting to be called Biggles or Tootsie or something completely unrelated to what her birth cert said she is called.

If it's a name change due to your marriage or your parents marriage or their separation I don't think you would need deed poll.


For instance http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nebraska-man-tyler-gold-tyrannosaurus-rex-article-1.1075369 and http://www.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/20445

Ormus

Lollymcd wrote: »

You're not getting what I'm saying, it's extraordinary changes of name that need deed poll, like Mary Smith wanting to be called Biggles or Tootsie or something completely unrelated to what her birth cert said she is called.

If it's a name change due to your marriage or your parents marriage or their separation I don't think you would need deed poll.


For instance http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nebraska-man-tyler-gold-tyrannosaurus-rex-article-1.1075369 and http://www.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/20445

Haha, ok thanks Lolly. If that's even your real name..