updated
03 January 2012
Simple DIY Legal Documents and Legal Guides
There are now several sites that can help you
Do It Yourself in many different legal tasks. LAW DOX's aim is to allow you access
to simple legal documents, that you can prepare for yourself, and legal
guides, that you can read at your leisure, so that you do not have to spend a fortune on solicitors.
It is actually perfectly legal for
anyone in the UK over the age of 16 to call themselves by whatever name they so desire,
provided they do not intend to defraud anyone by using the new name. There is
actually no formal legal process that has to be adopted for them to use their
new name.
However if you want to obtain
certain documents like a passport or driving licence, or amend current documents
into your new name, then you will probably need some evidence of your change of
name. This is usually done by a Change of Name Deed (sometimes called a Deed
Poll) (see below for information and our draft), or a more formal Statutory
Declaration(see below for information and our
draft). A statutory declaration is sometimes required by some of
the fussier financial institutions - banks and building societies for example.
"Thanks very much for
the Change of name deed draft, I had my driving licence back within 2
weeks; £7.50 well spent."
Mr T 25 May 2006
Note that you cannot generally change the name on your birth certificate, marriage
certificate or decree absolute.
There is no great magic or complexity in a Change of Name Deed. It is simply a
formal written and witnessed document, which indicates your former name and the
name you intend to use from now on. It can be used as evidence that you have
formally changed your name. This could be a change of first name or last name,
the addition of names, or the dropping of names. A Change of Name Deed can only
be entered into by an individual over the age of 18. If they are a British
citizen then they can be living anywhere in the world. If they are not British,
then they must be living in the UK, but the Deed may not be sufficient to change
documents and details outside of the UK.
Once the Deed has been properly completed
it needs to be signed by the person changing their name, and witnessed by
another party. This other party does not have to be a solicitor, just an adult. It is then a legal document and can be used to prove your new
name.
If you would like to use our DIY Change of Name Deed to create your own
document, the cost is just £7.50. The Deed is for adults only and is acceptable to all major institutions in the UK including the
Identity & Passport Service (formerly the Passport
Agency), the DVLA and the DSS.
"The
DIY Change of Name Deed was very easy to use - I had completed the relevant
details, printed, signed and had the signature witnessed within an hour."
There are 2 ways that you can pay for your
Change of Name Deed
for an adult
Either
You can pay by credit or debit card or PayPal
account (if you have one) using the PayPal system. You do not have to set
up a PayPal account.
Simply click on this link below and follow the instructions.
Once you have paid click on the link back to the
LAW DOX website which will take you to the page on our site where you can
instantly download the documents you have paid for. Any problems then
email us at mail@lawdox.co.uk
Or
If you would prefer to
pay by cheque or direct credit from your online bank account to our bank
account, then email us and
we will provide you with all the details you will need.
If you have any problems using these systems
or the document then please email us.
This is a slightly more formal legal document, which is usually only required by some of the
fussier financial institutions. As you will have to pay a solicitor to have it
sworn we suggest you check if your bank/building society will accept a simple Change of
Name Deed, or insist that you swear a Statutory Declaration.
It is a more formal document in that you need to swear it in the presence of a
solicitor or other authorised officer of the court. A solicitor will charge a
small fee for this service. They can also prepare the Statutory Declaration for
you, but the cost is likely to be £50 - £100, and it is very easy to prepare
your own - see below for a simple draft. Generally it is not necessary to have a Statutory
Declaration, although some official bodies may insist on seeing such a document
as proof of change of name.
If you want to prepare your own Statutory Declaration and then swear it before a
solicitor then we have prepared a DIY Change of Name Statutory Declaration
that you can use to create your own document. The cost is just
£7.50. The Stat Dec is for adults only and is acceptable to all major institutions in the UK including the Passport
Agency, the DVLA and the DSS.
There are 2 ways that you can
pay for your Statutory Declaration for an adult
Either
You can pay using all major credit and debit cards or PayPal account (if
you have one), but you do not have to have a PayPal account to use their
system to pay us.
Simply click on this link below and follow the instructions.
Once you have paid click on the link back to the
LAW on the WEB website which will take you to the page on our site where you can
instantly download the documents you have paid for. Any problems then
email us at mail@lawdox.co.uk
Or
If you would prefer to
pay by cheque or direct credit from your online bank account to our bank
account, then email us and
we will provide you with all the details you will need.
If you have any problems using these systems
or the document then please email us.
LAW
DOX is a trading name of Law Stuff Ltd, registered as company number 4065459,
whose registered office is at Tower House, Tower Street, Chichester PO19 1QH
