Changing step daughters name once married?

Scania

Scania

Scania

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I'm getting married at the end of March, my 6 year old step daughter wants the same surname as her mum will have once were married.

Her natural father lives out of the country, has little - if any - contact with her, and we don't foresee him having any objection.
Basically, I'm wondering how I go about doing this.

Anybody done this before? Any pointers / pitfalls appreciated.
:)
 
A couple of my friends who I grew up in similar situations couldn't officially change their names until they were 16. They did use their step Dad's surname though anyway. I had no idea it wasn't their 'real' name until my mum told me when I was about 14.

They may have changed the rules now though.
 
Blackjack Davy said:
Yeah, deed poll will do it. My sister had it done after her divorce, didn't want the ex's name. Surprisingly easy.
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Only an automatic right for adults I'm afraid. Seems the rules haven't changed since my mates' day, you need to consent of ALL parents to change the name of anyone under 16, including the natural father.

1. Age requirement
To change your own name by Deed Poll you must be at least 16 years of age. To change the name of a child who is under 16 years of age, someone with parental responsibility can apply so long as everyone with parental responsibility for the child consents to the name change.
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http://www.ukdps.co.uk/WhoCanApply.html

So unless the father agrees to it, they won't be able to change the girl's name. With him being out of the country that's going to be hard to get. Haven't read the rest of those rules though so there might be a get out clause if he's moved abroad.

But anyway, my mates couldn't change their names officially until they were 16 (their natural father still lived in the area and refused to allow it). They still somehow used their step dad's name though, like at school and stuff.
 
He does not have parental responsibility, he lives abroad, pays no maintenance & my partner has a document from her solicitor confirming she has sole responsibility.
 
MeatLoaf said:
Have a read of this mate you may need the absent fathers permission, especially if he has parental responsibility or he was married to your wife when the child was born :)

http://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/userfiles/Changing a child's surname.pdf
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Or born since 2002 (I think) as unmarried fathers now have PR if named on birth certificate or ever been married to mother before or after birth.

Basically your going to need fathers permission, could be very tricky!
 
R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
He does not have parental responsibility, he lives abroad, pays no maintenance & my partner has a document from her solicitor confirming she has sole responsibility.
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It will not be that easy a letter is meaningless she will need a court order unless she has a parental responsibility agreement agreed in family court
 
estebanrey said:
Only an automatic right for adults I'm afraid. Seems the rules haven't changed since my mates' day, you need to consent of ALL parents to change the name of anyone under 16, including the natural father
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This.

I can't see him agreeing tbh. I wouldn't.

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
He does not have parental responsibility, he lives abroad, pays no maintenance & my partner has a document from her solicitor confirming she has sole responsibility.
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He dose have parental responsibility.

For children whose births were registered from 15 April 2002 in Northern Ireland, from 1 December 2003 in England and Wales and from 4 May 2006 in Scotland, parental responsibility rests with both parents, provided they are named on the birth certificate, regardless of whether they are married or not. For children whose births are registered prior to these dates, the father would only automatically have parental responsibility if he was married to the mother.
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You have it by being a parent.
 
Last edited:
This page describes it in full detail.

http://www.ukdps.co.uk/CanIChangeMyChildsName.html

Only skimmed through it but when they say 'father' they don't actually mean biological father but whomever the mother was married to at the time of birth. So if the OP's missus wasn't married to the guy at the time they'll probably be OK.

There's also bits there about absent fathers etc so read it OP and you'll know your rights.
 
To change a child's surname you will need the consent of anyone with Parental Responsibility (this is usually the biological parents or married parents (unmarried fathers are slightly different but a lot have parental responsibility now), anyone with a residence order in their favour, those entering into a Parental Responsibility Agreement, or applying for an order from the family court).

If your partner is not in contact with her ex, then she should at least try to obtain consent. A family court will expect efforts to be made to contact the father to ask consent. If efforts are made and there is no response, the judge can make an order permitting the name change. It can be a relatively straightforward process if (a) father consents then no need to apply (b) father ignores requests and you present the efforts made to the judge who can make an order (c) father objects but has no real involvement in child's life and you can demonstrate it would be in the child's best interests to change surname.
 
estebanrey said:
This page describes it in full detail.

http://www.ukdps.co.uk/CanIChangeMyChildsName.html

Only skimmed through it but when they say 'father' they don't actually mean biological father but whomever the mother was married to at the time of birth. So if the OP's missus wasn't married to the guy at the time they'll probably be OK.

There's also bits there about absent fathers etc so read it OP and you'll know your rights.
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the law was changed in 2003 anyone who has ever been married to the mother or named on the birth certificate for children born since 2003 has parental responsibility. If this is the case they need permission of the father, courts are unlikely to order it unless there have been extensive efforts to locate the father
 
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