Going back to maiden name - is it a lot of hassle?

**RedTiger** · 27-10-2011, 09:32pm

I would very much like to get rid of my married name - never liked it, it's a bugger to spell

but obviously I have 3 kids who have that surname so I'd be different to them. I'm wondering about the hassle (and probably a bit of expense too) involved in me using my maiden name again. Can I do this quite easily even though we aren't divorced, just separated? And where is best to start - I'll need to change bank accounts, mortgage, bills, etc but I think I'll need to keep my passport in my married name until next summer as we have a holiday booked, and it's booked in my married name.

**RealGoneKid** · 27-10-2011, 10:08pm

It's very simple, you just need to make an appointment with a solicitor for a change of name deed. It should be less than £100. Then you send certified copies of the deed to bank etc

**Bettie May** · 27-10-2011, 10:40pm

After my first divorce I reverted back without legally changing it. It's perfectly legal to do that. The bank had no problem changing it back as I had documentation showing previous name etc.

After my second divorce (flippin heck!

) I changed my christian name at the same time and used these people:

https://www.thelegaldeedpollservice....4/apply-online

Cost me about £13.50 for the change plus about another £20 for the copies. In fairness I ordered about 20 copies just in case but everyone has been really good and returned the ones I sent out to change credit cards etc.

No problems with anything at all (all bank and passport etc now in new name) other than getting my mother and my ex to use my new name!!

**RedTiger** · 27-10-2011, 10:50pm

I should say, I'm in Scotland so I think it's a bit different - according to this I can just change it if I want, don't necessarily need to make it official

From that then it looks like I can just start using my maiden name when I want? Then pay £40 to have it recorded officially.

Will leave it til next summer after our hols, though I'd love to change it sooner. Maybe a few phone calls to my bank, mortgage company etc to check procedures and also to see if there are any fees involved in changing their records.

Those who have done it, does it cause confusion eg with kids having a different surname, work colleagues not knowing who you are (phone & email - I'm sure I'll still look the same to those that see me at work!). I suppose it's pretty much the same amount of hassle as changing it after marriage in the first place? (and I remember that being a pain, probably more so as it took me a few months to bring myself to change everything to a name I wasn't keen on!)

**RedTiger** · 27-10-2011, 10:53pm

Crossed posts with you BM as I was too busy googling then following all the links

I was looking at the form I'd fill in to change it officially and it seemed to just ask for my name on my birth certificate, so I wouldn't be changing it from that anyway

ETA: I don't think I could change my christian name even though I don't particularly love the one I've got, I've had it for 36 years so it'd be a bugger to get used to responding to a new one

**Bettie May** · 27-10-2011, 10:55pm

Nobody has questioned it tbh. I never did a big announcement but just started signing things differently. Four of my kids have a different name and DD has a different one again as she chose to go back to her bio dad's name but again, doesn't cause any problems at all apart from people just double checking I am their parent if they ring up about school/forms etc.

There are still a few things I still need to update. Car log book, driving licence and the electoral roll.... getting there though and if anyone does query me I just keep one of the deed poll pages on me in my bag. I never paid any fees to update anything. Passport needed renewing anyway but I'm pretty sure it's free to update just the name if it's still current.

**Bettie May** · 27-10-2011, 10:57pm

Originally Posted by RedTiger

ETA: I don't think I could change my christian name even though I don't particularly love the one I've got, I've had it for 36 years so it'd be a bugger to get used to responding to a new one

It's great because you can choose to have selective hearing if people call you by the wrong name. Last week I was helping out at a dance show and half the room of teen girls were calling me one name and the other were calling me another and everyone was getting totally confused but I was finding it too funny to correct anyone and everyone was too polite to ask WTF was going on!

**RedTiger** · 27-10-2011, 11:06pm

Originally Posted by Bettie May

Passport needed renewing anyway but I'm pretty sure it's free to update just the name if it's still current.

£77.50 according to their website

I'll just be keeping it in my married name for the moment! It's not clear though if they issue the new one with the full 10 years on it, or just the remainder of the time you have left on the original (I'd like to think it was a new 10 year passport though for that price!)

lol at the girls calling you different names - have you just recently changed it?

**SammiBee** · 27-10-2011, 11:49pm

I'm not sure that I have anything constructive to add, but when I divorced my first husband (jeez that sounds bad lol) I just took my decree absolute to the bank etc and told them that I wanted to revert to my maiden name, I didn't have to do anything other than that as far as I recall.