We have decided that we are going to double barrel our surnames but I'm not entirely sure of the best way to go about doing this. I remember reading somewhere that if he changes his name by deed poll to the joint name that I can take on the joint name automatically after the wedding but does this mean he will have to change his before the wedding. and then the registrar calls him by the double barrel name, that just doesn't seem right somehow. I'm really confused, so if someone can enlighten me that would be great :)
CommentAuthorKatya
that may have been me, as this is what we are doing....
the other way to do it is to change both of your names by deed poll after the wedding but they wont be able to announce you or have it on your marriage certificate as your double barrelled name.
Don't be fooled into paying for your deed poll! It is infact free! You just need to download a form from the ministry of justice website, i have taken a look at the form however am not sure how its supposed to be filled out, so that would be something to look into. from what i have read up on this, the form is enough proof & is accepted everywhere. Just print off enough forms & have them all filled out at the same time so you can send them all off at the same time to get everything such as bank accounts, mortgages etc changed as quickly as possible rather than waiting for it to come back then sending it off to the next place.
you can also got to "free deed poll" org website, this is where you can "generate a deed poll" this will provide you with a certificate rather than a form. then all you need to do is print it as many times as you like & get 2 witnesses to sign it stating they know you by both names etc
both of these deed poll options are accepted almost everywhere in the uk including for passport name changes & banks etc
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorBride of Frank
Hi Katya, so is your OH changing his name before the wedding then. It all just seems so awkward really. I think my OH would want to be known as his own singular name during the vows and I can't imagine him wanting to change it before the ceremony. But it feels so incomplete for us to go away on the day, with our own separate names still, so I'll have to discuss it further with him. It does sadden me a little that it also won't be on the marriage certificate. I know it seems overly sentimental but I just liked the idea that us taking on each others names would happen automatically, as the conclusion of the ceremony but of cause theres always the paperwork to think about!
So my next question would be then. If we left it until after the wedding, would we both have to get it changed by deed poll, rather than just him?
CommentAuthorKatya
yes you would both have to change your names by deed poll:
1. the woman has the right to take her husbands surname as her own & the marriage certificate is proof of this. Mr Smith & Miss Jones can become Mr & Mrs Smith & the marriage certificate is proof of the change of name.
2. The man does not have the automatic right to take his new wifes name. Mr Smith & Miss Jones would become Mr Smith & Mrs Jones until Mr Smith changes his name by deed poll AFTER the ceremony. The deed poll would be proof of change of name.
3. You could change the grooms name first. Mr Smith would become Mr Smith-Jones by Deed poll. The Deed poll is proof of name change. Mr Smith-Jones & Miss Jones would become Mr & Mrs Smith-Jones.
If you are lucky you could speak with your registrar and inform them of your plans to double barrel. State that you want to change his name first so that you can be announced MR & Mrs Smith-Jones, however, you would like the vows to either just mention first names or to use his previous name to then be announced with the married name. I have not looked into this yet, however i plan to.
4. X do you take Y... rather than X Smith do you take y jones.
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorBride of Frank
Thanks Katya, scenario 3 does seem like the best option for us especially if the registrar is co-operative :) Guess I'll have to see what OH wants to do though. He has agreed to the double barrel thing willingly but I don't think he realises whats involved (i.e. deed poll and having to notify everyone of his change of name), so I can imagine him trying to back out once he does realise! He doesn't really like to put himself out, if theres an easier way ;)
you could give your notices late, do the deed poll the morning give notices in the afternoon, 3 weeks later get married (having already booked & paid etc to guarantee your date & time), then once you are married you will both have to inform people of your change of name, however you could do this together so it doesnt put either of you out anymore than you would normally, ie if you have a joint account you could send them a copy or your marriage certificate & a copy of his deed poll at the same time, this will do it all in one go rather than changing the details with the deed poll then again after the wedding to change your name & both of your relationship status etc. just inform everyone after the wedding of his name change & marriage at the same time.
Some poeple do not inform everyone of their change of name as some women have built up their career & are known by Miss Jones, so when they marry & become Mrs Smith-Jones so rather than confusing their clients they keep their maiden name for professional reasons. this is perfectly acceptable to do, so changing your name & informing poeple later on is also perfectly acceptable to do.
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorkatielea100
I thought OH could just change take your surname additional like you'd normally take his surname without having to deed poll at all? X
CommentAuthorKatya
no, the woman has a legal right to take her new husbands name but not visa versa. im trying to find the information on the registrars website at the moment
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorValentinaK
He's changing his to mine and his prior to the wedding which means I get to keep my name and take his. It also makes paperwork easier and means just one cost of deed poll.
And we lived happily ever after!
CommentAuthorBride of Frank
edited
Just found this page, note the double barrelled bit says you do not need a deed poll and that the marriage certificate should be enough to change passport and that a new passport should be enough for everything else
EDIT - LINK REMOVED ,PLEASE PUT ON YOUR WAll only
so then if you filled out a passport for newleyweds form up to 3 months before the ceremony, which would make the passports effective from the date of the wedding, then presumably, we would both be able to keep our normal names up to the point until the date of the wedding and then use the double barreled from then on with the passports to prove it, no need for a deed poll at all surely. Or am I misunderstanding?
CommentAuthorkatielea100
Im sure you don't need a deed poll I'm going to ring my registra tomoz as were double barreling Xx
CommentAuthorKatya
edited
the information i have been using ,but this was a few years ago, so they may have updated the law in the last few years, but this is what i was informed at the time, so like i say i will be looking into it further but as far as im aware the marriage certificate was not suitable form of name change for the male.
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorKatya
I have found some information on the "UK Deed Poll Service (link on my wall) the information is as follows:
A man's name change rights and options upon marriage
Traditionally, a man does not change his surname upon marriage. However, many men decide to either: Double-barrel their surname with their wife's surname. Take their wife's surname. Make their wife's surname a middle name. "Mesh" their surname with their wife's surname to make a new surname. 1. The alternatives to tradition If you decide against tradition and wish to consider one of the above options, please read on.
1.1 Double-barrelling your surname with your wife's surname OR taking your wife's surname A double-barrelled surname uses both the couple's surnames. The two elements of the new surname can be linked by a hyphen or kept separate e.g. Smith-Jones or Smith Jones. It is personal choice whether a hyphen is used and which order the names are placed - although there is a tradition in some social circles to place the man's surname last. Most couples however decide the order by what sounds better when the new double-barrelled surname is spoken.
If, following your marriage, you wish to double-barrel your surname with your wife's surname, or take your wife's surname, a Deed Poll is often required. Although some companies and organisations will change their records to your new double-barrelled surname, or to your wife's surname, upon presentation of your marriage certificate, many will not, particularly the financial institutions e.g. banks and building societies. A Deed Poll will guarantee that your new surname will be accepted by everyone without question. Please note, government departments, including the Passport Office and DVLA accept marriage certificates as documentary evidence of a man changing his surname to a double-barrelled surname or for a man taking his wife's surname. The only way to find out if you need a Deed Poll to get your non-government documents and records changed is to contact, for example, your bank, building society, credit card company and mortgage company etc and ask what their policy is for changing your surname upon marriage.
1.2 A further option if you will be double-barrelling your surnames If you and your wife will be double-barrelling your surnames by Deed Poll, the cost of a second Deed Poll (for your wife) can be avoided if you change your surname by Deed Poll to your double-barrelled surname before you marry. Consequently, upon marriage, your wife can take your double-barrelled surname, in the traditional way, by using your marriage certificate as documentary evidence of her change of surname (because your double-barrelled surname is on your marriage certificate). Please note, you should only follow the above advice if you have sufficient time to get the documents you will be taking with you on your honeymoon changed to your new double-barrelled surname, for example, your passport, travel documents, driving licence, credit cards etc. We suggest you should apply for your Deed Poll at least three months before your wedding to allow sufficient time to get everything changed before you travel on your honeymoon (you are strongly advised not to travel overseas carrying documents in different names). You will also need to notify your minister/registrar that you have changed your surname by Deed Poll so your marriage notice can be amended to your new double-barrelled surname. We suggest you take with your two or three documents in your new name e.g. your passport, driving licence and say a credit card, so you can demonstrate to your minister/registrar that you are using your new name for all purposes.
1.3 Making your wife's surname a middle name If your wife will be taking your surname upon marriage, in recognition of her giving up her family name, you could make your wife's surname one of your middle names. Such a gesture may be greatly appreciated by your wife and not make the name change process following marriage one-sided. If you wish to make your wife's surname a middle name, you can do this by Deed Poll.
1.4 "Meshing" your surnames Meshing surnames is a term used to describe the blending of elements of each of the couple's surname to create a new surname for both of them. For example, if Sarah THOMPSON marries Michael SIMMONS, they could mesh their surnames to become Sarah and Michael SIMMSON (or THOMONS). Because you will be both be applying for a Deed Poll, you could also consider adding your original surnames as middle names, thereby maintaining a link to your original family names. Using the above example, Sarah THOMPSON would become Sarah Thompson SIMMSON.
2. When to apply for your Deed Polls If you need to apply for Deed Polls to change your name, there are two options to consider in respect of the timing of your application:
2.1 Apply in time for signing on your wedding day If you wish to make the signing of your Deed Polls part of your nuptials (and sign your Deed Poll documents after your marriage ceremony or later at your reception), you should apply for your Deed Polls at least three weeks before your wedding (this allows for any postal delays). When you complete your application forms, please write in the box in section 1 titled "Do you want us to date your Deed Poll with a future date" the date of your wedding (use the comments box on the postal application form). We will then date your Deed Polls for your wedding day, which looks so much better than hand writing the date. After signing your Deed Polls after your ceremony (but not before), you will keep them safe at home and upon your return from your honeymoon you will start the process of letting everyone know of your change of name by Deed Poll.
2.2 Apply upon returning from your honeymoon If you do not wish to sign your Deed Polls on your wedding day, you can apply for your Deed Polls upon returning from your honeymoon. You can of course still order before your wedding if you wish, particularly if you want your Deed Poll documents to hand for signing upon returning from your honeymoon.
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorKatya
so as i understand the above, its not a legal requirement, however for things such as banks & mortgages etc, you will need a deed poll for your husband.
However, you do not need to pay for this as stated in my first comment. Deed Polls ARE FREE, its just some companies decide to charge for them so you have a certificate as opposed to a form, there is however a site where you can get a certificate for free.
The way I understand this is if you were to sign the deed poll seconds after signing the register (sign the register then add the deed poll as something extra to sign at the time, you could use your wedding witnesses for this also making it easier) they could officially announce you as Mr & Mrs Smith-Jones.
But as Deed Polls are free it is definately worth getting it as as stated above many companies & organisations will not accept the marriage certificate as acceptable proof of change of name for the male.
I will add the link to the above information to my wall along with the link to the free deed poll certificates & forms.
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorkatielea100
It says "if following your marriage" which means after the wedding the change their mind and decide to Double barrel I'll update with what the registra says later when I've called
CommentAuthorKatya
I have just contacted my local registry office (huntingdon) they have informed me that the only way to do our vows as "Mr Smith do you take Miss Jones" etc and then announce us "Mr & Mrs Smith-Jones" is if we do the deed poll after the ceremony but they would not like us to sign the deed poll at the time, they would just announce us with the double barreled name upon our request.
They also agreed that having a deed poll is not a legal requirement, however are aware that many companies & organisations do not accept the marriage certificate for the man. so have agreed that a deed poll is "probably the easiest way".
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorkatielea100
That's stupid what happened to equal rights lol
CommentAuthorKatya
they stated its because "this countries traditions is that wife takes her husbands name" double barreling & the husband taking his wifes name is a modern thing.
So they have stated that its not a legal requirement however, it is the easiest option to guarantee that everyone will be accepting the name change.
Someone mentioned using a newly weds passport, yes you could do this, as like you say passports are used as ID and accepted everywhere, however, if you are not going abroad for your honeymoon (like us) then there is no reason to update your passport & spend extra money when money is tight before a wedding anyway, a deed poll is free so saves at least £70. You can get married, have a deed poll but so long as you dont take your deed poll abroad with you, you can still travel in your maiden name. Its just not advisable to take paper work in different names abroad. then you can change your passport at a later date.
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorkatielea100
edited
If you decide to double-barrel your surname upon marriage, the use of a Deed Poll is often necessary. Certain organisations will accept a marriage certificate as sufficient evidence to change their records. Government departments in particular, for example the DVLA and Passport Office, have been accepting marriage certificates since 2005. However, many banks, building societies, and other companies, will not change their records to show a double-barrelled surname upon the presentation of a marriage certificate alone. Such organisations will require sight of a Deed Poll document, and therefore we advise that you check what their policies are, in order to decide whether or not a Deed Poll will be necessary for your change of name. In the future, it is likely that almost all organisations will follow the lead of government departments and accept marriage certificates as evidence for double-barrelled surnames amongst wedded couples. However, at present most people apply for a Deed Poll when double-barrelling to avoid any confusion or time-delays.
EDIT - LINK REMOVED - PLEASE POST ON YOUR WALL
Just found this and surely if you can change your passport and driving licence with your marriage certificate you can then use your passport and driving licence to change your name at the bank ect?
CommentAuthorKatya
yes i am sure you are right, however it takes approx, 3 months for a new passport, so that will not be done until 3 months after you marry, then you will need to send it all to your bank afterwards, so a free deed poll makes this much quicker & avoids delays, so you can send off for your passport which takes 3 months, but at the same time you can use the deed poll to change your bank accounts etc well before that 3 month time frame, even the day after you wed if you wish.
A Deed Poll would be the quickest & easiest option & saves time & confusion
Find out who you are & do it on purpose!
CommentAuthorkatielea100
Ah well me and Oh don't have passports anyway and arnt going abroad for our honeymoon so the wait won't be a problem
CommentAuthorBride of Frank
My passport ran out a few weeks ago so I have to renew it anyway if we want to go on honeymoon, so I think we'll do it that way, with the newlywed passport form and not bother with a deed poll unless we really need to. That way we will be able to keep our name up until the ceremony then become double barrelled immediately after and then go on holiday with our shiny new names / passports. :) The aggravation of contacting banks etc can wait till we get back!
CommentAuthorkatielea100
That's what we're doing bride if frank, the thought if a deed poll just makes me want to bang my head against a wall lol x
CommentAuthorlala "mod" bunni
sorry you have to produce your marriage certificate to change your name at bank / insurance etc ...... you cannot use your passport
Thought so, but marriage licence will have the new name anyway so still no need for a deed poll x
CommentAuthorBride of Frank
If they are not happy with a marriage certificate (which will have both our names on it) plus a passport I'd be very surprised but like I say I'll cross that bridge if it comes to it :)
