Expert guides and advice
Many people assume "enrolling" a deed poll makes it more official. In reality, it costs more, takes longer, and publishes your home address on the internet. We explain why the standard "unenrolled" deed poll is the better choice.
A head-to-head cost comparison of solicitor vs online deed poll in the UK. See exactly what each costs, what's included, turnaround and copies-and the rare cases where a solicitor is actually worth paying for.
Your passport name does not have to match your birth certificate, but the two must be legally linked. This 2026 guide explains why names differ, why you cannot simply change a birth certificate, and how a deed poll fixes the mismatch.
Want to remove a hyphen, apostrophe or other special character from your name - like Smith-Jones to Smith Jones, or O’Brien to OBrien? Here’s how to make it official by deed poll, why people do it, and how to get every record to match afterwards.
A long, awkward or hard-to-spell surname can be a daily nuisance. Here's how to shorten or modernise it by deed poll in the UK - the common reasons people do it, what to weigh up first, and how to make the change legally with a single document.
Want to drop an unwanted middle name or add a meaningful one? In the UK you do it with a deed poll. Here is the exact process, the common reasons, what it costs, and how the change shows on your passport, bank and other records.
![[UK passport and birth certificate on a desk for name change verification]](/media/blog/images/2.jpg)
