If you’ve recently been through a divorce or separation, you might have some questions about how to change your last name back to your maiden name.
In this in-depth guide, we will cover everything you need to know about changing your name after a divorce or separation in the UK.
| Already have a decree absolute or a deed poll? Use our Easy Name Change Kit to notify government offices, banks, and more of your new name. |
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We’ll take a look at the name change process, the documents required, and also answer some of the most common questions about changing your name.
The process and the requirements for changing your name after a divorce will depend on whether you are reverting back to your maiden name or creating a new last name.
Let's first look at the more common scenario, reverting back to your maiden name.
If you took your spouse’s last name after marriage, and you want to revert to your maiden name, here is what you will need.
Assuming that the following is true:
● Your marriage took place in the UK
● Your divorce has been finalized in the UK
You will need the following documents:
● Your original marriage certificate
● Your original birth certificate
● A signed statement declaring that you’re switching back to your birth name for all purposes
● Your decree absolute
If you’re missing any of the required documents, like your decree absolute, marriage certificate, or your birth certificate, you have a couple of options.
You can apply for copies of the missing documents, or you can simply get a deed poll. Let’s examine both options so you can decide which one suits you better.
Here’s how you can apply for copies of the following documents.
Applying for a missing decree absolute
If you’re missing your decree absolute, you can get a copy from the court that issued the original one.
(Click on the link to find your court’s contact details for England/Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland).
For decree absolutes issued in England/Wales, a copy costs £5 if you have the case number. If you don’t have the case number and the court has to look it up, the copy of the decree absolute will cost you £40.
And if you’ve forgotten the court that issued your original decree absolute, you’re still not out of luck. You can request the Principal Registry of the Family Division to look it up.
Fill out the form D440: Request for Search for Decree Absolute, and send it to the following address, along with a payment of £60.
Principal Registry of the Family Division
First Avenue House 42-49 High Holborn
LONDON
WC1V 6NP
Tel: 020 7421 8509 (Enquiries)
Applying for a missing marriage/birth certificate
You can contact the General Register Office to replace marriage and birth certificates. You can apply online, and each certificate will cost £9.25.
| Already have a decree absolute or a deed poll? Use our Easy Name Change Kit to notify government offices, banks, and more of your new name. |
If you’re missing any of the required documents to change your name, and you don’t feel like applying for copies , you could simplify the process significantly by getting a deed poll.
What is a deed poll?
In the UK, you’re allowed to change your name for any reason you wish. A deed poll is a document that makes your new name official.
A deed poll demonstrates the following information:
● You have chosen a new name (which could be your maiden name or any other name you wish)
● You have given up your old name (in this case your married name)
● The date you start using your new name.
How do I get a deed poll?
Although accepted as an official document everywhere in the UK, there isn’t a government office where you can get a deed poll.
You have to either hire a solicitor to apply for a deed poll, or you can check out our fast, easy, and secure deed poll application process.
START AN ADULT DEED POLL - £18.50
| Already have a decree absolute or a deed poll? Use our Easy Name Change Kit to notify government offices, banks, and more of your new name. |
If you want to change to a name different than your maiden name, you will need a deed poll.
Once you have the deed poll, you can use that as evidence of your new name to update various official documents.
Now that you have the correct documents, let's examine the process of actually changing your name.
After finalizing your divorce, it's essential to update your name across various institutions to ensure your new identity is recognized and reflected accurately.
| Want help changing your name? Use our Easy Name Change Kit to notify government offices, banks, and more of your new name. |
Here is a list of the most common organizations you should inform about your name change:
While there is no requirement to update your documents and records to reflect your name change, there are a few exceptions. Your driving licence and your passport must be kept up-to-date with your current name.
To change your name on your passport after a divorce you’ll have to contact Her Majesty’s Passport Office to update your name. Here is their contact info:
Her Majesty's Passport Office
PO Box 767
Southport
PR8 9PW
Tel: 0300 222 0000
To learn more about the process check out our in depth guide to changing your name on your passport.
| Want help changing your name on your passport? Use our Easy Name Change Kit to notify government offices, banks, and more of your new name. |
It doesn’t cost anything to update your name on your driver’s license after a divorce or separation. You simply need to apply with the DVLA with all the required documents.
For detailed information on the process, check out our guide on changing your name on your driving licence.
Typically, the process is quite simple. You just need to visit a branch with evidence of your name change.
Most banks accept official documents with your new name, like a deed poll, decree absolute, driver’s license, passport, etc.
To make sure you bring all the required documents, you might want to call your bank and ask what is necessary for your specific bank.
| Want help changing your name with your bank? Use our Easy Name Change Kit to notify government offices, banks, and more of your new name. |
We hope you found this guide to be helpful. If you still have questions about changing your name after divorce, check out our FAQ section below.
If you’re a UK national, but you are/were living abroad, and either your marriage or divorce wasn’t finalized in the UK and one of your documents isn’t in English, you again have a couple of options.
You can get your documents translated to English by an accredited translator so UK government officials can accept them. Obtaining translations can often be quite expensive and involve a cumbersome process.
Alternatively, you can get a deed poll to simplify the process and not have to go through the process of translation, either for your marriage certificate or divorce documents.
If you’re a UK resident, and your marriage and divorce both took place in the UK, the same procedure applies to you for changing your name after a divorce.
But if your birth certificate is not in English, you would need to get it translated by an accredited translator.
You could also get a deed poll to simplify the process, but you should check with the embassy of your country of citizenship if they will accept a deed poll to issue a passport under your new name.
If you’re currently separated, but your divorce hasn’t been finalized, and you want to change your name right away, you will need to use a deed poll.
You’ll need a deed poll because you won’t get the decree absolute, which is one of the documents necessary to change your name, till your divorce is finalized.
If all you want to do is change your title, e.g., from Mrs. back to Ms., then you don’t need a deed poll or any official name change process.
You can simply start using your preferred title. Some official documents, like your passport, don’t even state your title.
There can be various costs involved with changing your name depending on your desired new name and the documents you’ll need to obtain.
If you’re reverting to your maiden name, and you have all the required documents, then your costs will be relatively low. For example, you may only need to pay the fee for updating your passport (usually less than £100).
It does not cost anything to change your name on your driver’s license.
If you happen to be missing any documents, then you might have additional costs of applying for copies, as we explained above. If you need to have any documents translated, that will cost extra as well.
Remember, if you’re missing any documents, or if any of your documents are not in English, you can always simplify the process with secure and easy deed poll application, which only costs £18.50.
Every divorce is different and there is no right or wrong answer to whether you should keep your married name or revert to your maiden name. The main advantage of changing your name is establishing a complete break from your former spouse. Once you revert to your birth name, you are no longer connected to your ex-husband by law, financially, or emotionally.
At the same time, there are many reasons why you may want to keep your married name:
