Change of Name Letter Following Divorce/Marriage/Civil Partnership

This change of name letter can be used by a person living in England and Wales who has changed their name following a marriage, civil partnership, divorce or dissolution, in order to notify an organisation that they have changed their name.

A person can choose to use a new name following any of the above circumstances and can use the relevant certificate or court order as evidence. The letter can be sent to organisations, such as:

• banks and building societies; or
• HRMC; or
• the government electoral register; or
• the DVLA; or
• the Passport Office.

It is very important, however, to check whether the relevant organisation requires any additional information or proof in order to process a change of name.

How to use this document

The document should be completed with the correct factual information. It can be printed, signed and sent via post or it can be electronically signed and sent by email. It is useful to check with the relevant organisation to see whether they specify how such requests should be made.

Furthermore, some organisations will require proof in the form of a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or divorce certificate and in this case, these documents can be attached to the letter.

Relevant law

This document is a template letter which can be used to notify others of a change of name and therefore does not contain any law directly.

It is possible to choose to start using a different name in England and Wales after a marriage, divorce or civil partnership without going through any further formal legal processes. Ordinarily, the certificate proving this marriage, divorce or civil partnership will be shown to the relevant professional body to enable a name change to be processed.

The UK government website does provide information about using a new name and about the other legal processes which can be used to evidence a name change.

Help from a lawyer

You can choose to consult a lawyer if you need help.

The lawyer can answer your questions or help you through the process. You will be offered this option when you complete the document.

How to modify the template

You fill out a form. The document is created before your eyes as you respond to the questions.

At the end, you receive it in Word and PDF formats. You can modify it and reuse it.