---
title: "Name change and your will"
description: "Change your name in England and Wales by deed poll, then remake your will. Instant Deed Poll is £14.99. SwiftWill updates stay free."
url: "https://swiftwill.co.uk/changing-your-name/"
author: "Marcus Kaiser"
date_modified: "2026-08-22"
---

# Name change and your will

In England and Wales, if you are 16 or over, change your name with a deed poll signed in wet ink by two independent adult witnesses. Instant Deed Poll prepares the document for £14.99. Then remake your will in the new name — a name change does not cancel a will, but an old name slows probate. Skip a DIY deed poll if a child’s name is disputed or a court order is involved.

> SwiftWill provides legal information and software for England & Wales under Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. Figures are taken from gov.uk, legislation.gov.uk and HMCTS, checked 12 August 2026. We have not given you legal advice — this is general information.

In short

How to change your name in the UK, for England and Wales: make a deed poll, print it, sign
 it in wet ink with two independent adult witnesses, then tell every record-holder.
 is the document service
 we point to — £14.99 once, PDF in minutes, not a will. Gov.uk’s own guide is

 .

A name change does not revoke a will. Marriage does. Finish the deed poll and the passport
 / driving licence / bank updates, then remake the will in your current name so probate is
 not a detective story. SwiftWill updates are free. This page is the name-change cluster,
 not [how to change your will](/changing-your-will/) in full.

Instant Deed Poll and SwiftWill are related services from the same company. We do not sell
 deed polls here, and the link is not a paid placement. Scotland has different name-change
 rules. Permanent residents overseas cannot change name by UK deed poll. Checked 22 August
 2026.

## How do you change your name in the UK at a glance?

If you are 16 or over in England or Wales, an unenrolled deed poll plus two witnesses is
 enough. Instant Deed Poll costs £14.99. High Court enrolment is optional at £53.05.
 Marriage to take a spouse’s surname needs the certificate, not a deed poll. Then update
 your will — the old name does not cancel it, but it slows the grant.

- £14.99 Adult deed poll from Instant Deed Poll. Instant PDF. No subscription.
- 2 witnesses Independent adults, wet ink. Same idea as signing a will — different document.
- 16+ Age for an unenrolled adult deed poll. Enrolment at the High Court is from 18.
- Still valid A will in your old name is still a will. Remake it anyway. Updates here are free.

## What is a deed poll?

A deed poll is the legal document that proves you have changed your name. There is no
 prescribed government stationery. It works once it contains the right declarations and you
 sign it in ink in front of two independent adult witnesses. Who printed the paper does not
 make it more or less a deed.

You can change any part of your name, add or remove names or hyphens, or change the
 spelling, within gov.uk’s limits: pronounceable, no symbols or numbers (hyphens and names
 like O’Hara excepted), not offensive. You cannot use a deed poll to change titles (Mr, Dr)
 or which letters are capitalised. That list is from
 , not from us.

The long how-to, including after divorce, adoption and lost documents, lives on Instant
 Deed Poll’s
 guide.
 This SwiftWill page will not duplicate that whole cluster.

## How do you change your name in the UK?

Make or buy a deed poll, print it, sign it in wet ink with two independent adult
 witnesses, then notify passport, DVLA, HMRC, banks, NHS, employer and everyone else who
 holds your name. Start using the new name. Keep the original deed with your important
 papers — organisations want the wet-ink document, not a scan of a scan.

1. Confirm England and Wales. Scotland is a different process. If you live permanently overseas, gov.uk says you cannot change your name by UK deed poll.
2. Get the document. Free DIY, at £14.99, or a solicitor at £150–£300.
3. Print, sign, two witnesses. Not e-sign. Not one witness tomorrow.
4. Tell people, in order. Instant Deed Poll’s list is the practical checklist.
5. Remake your will in the new name and re-sign it. [Changing your will](/changing-your-will/) is free on SwiftWill.

## How do you get a deed poll online?

Use a specialist agency if you want the wording, instruction card and a refund if HM
 Passport Office, DVLA, HMRC or a UK bank refuses the document solely because of that
 wording. emails a
 personalised PDF for £14.99 within minutes. You still print and sign with two witnesses
 — the download is not the deed until that ceremony is done.

Adult document:
 .
 Child document (consent required):
 at £17.99. Cost
 comparison of free, online, enrolled and solicitor routes:
 .

Instant Deed Poll is not affiliated with HM Government. Neither is SwiftWill. A home-printed
 deed, once signed in wet ink, is an original. A photocopy of an already-signed deed is
 what passport examiners reject.

## Do you need a deed poll after marriage or divorce?

You do not need a deed poll to take your spouse’s or civil partner’s surname — send the
 marriage or civil partnership certificate. After divorce, some organisations let you
 revert with the decree absolute and the old marriage certificate; others still want a
 deed poll. Check each record-holder. You almost always need a new will after marriage,
 because marriage revokes a will.

Marriage and the will is a different cluster:
 [does marriage revoke a will](/does-marriage-revoke-a-will/). Do not mix the
 two ceremonies. A deed poll does not save a will that marriage already cancelled.

After divorce, the will usually still stands but treats your ex as having died. Make a
 clean new will. See [does divorce affect a will](/does-divorce-affect-a-will/).

## What is the difference between enrolled and unenrolled?

An unenrolled deed poll is the one you make yourself (or through an agency) and sign
 with two witnesses. That is enough for passports, DVLA, HMRC and most banks. An enrolled
 deed poll is filed at the High Court, published in The Gazette, and costs £53.05. It is
 public. It is not more valid. Some stubborn companies still ask for enrolment — ask them
 first.

Enrolment is from age 18. If you do not want your old and new names in a public newspaper,
 do not enrol. Instant Deed Poll sells the unenrolled document people actually use.

## How much does a deed poll cost?

Free if you draft it yourself. £14.99 once at Instant Deed Poll for an adult PDF. Other
 online services often £17–£36 with a postal wait. Enrolment £53.05. A solicitor £150–£300
 for the same legal effect. Extra paper copies should not be a fee — print the PDF again.

Figures for Instant Deed Poll and enrolment were checked against their published pages
 and gov.uk on 22 August 2026. If a price has moved, believe the live page. Full table:
 .

## Who accepts a home-printed deed poll?

HM Passport Office (original plus a name-in-use document within 12 months), DVLA (free
 name change on the licence), HMRC, most UK banks in branch with photo ID, NHS, employers
 and schools. Instant Deed Poll refunds you if those core bodies refuse solely because of
 the wording, within 60 days. Signing errors are still on you.

If you are a registered sex, violent or terrorist offender, you must tell the police
 within three days. That is a criminal offence if you do not. A PDF shop cannot do that
 for you. Read gov.uk.

## Does changing your name cancel your will?

No. A name change does not revoke a will. A will signed in your former name is still
 your will if the section 9 ceremony was done. Probate is slower while the executor
 proves you are the same person — deed poll, passport, banks. Remake the will in the
 current name so the grant is boring.

“Also known as” in a will can help, but a clean document in the name on your passport is
 kinder. Do the deed poll first, update ID, then the will — not the other way round, or
 you will sign a will that is already out of date.

## How do you update your will after a name change?

Log back into SwiftWill, put your current legal name in the interview, download a fresh
 PDF (free), print it, and sign it with two independent witnesses. Destroy the old
 signed original. The new will’s revocation clause cancels earlier wills. Same ceremony
 as before: [how to sign a will](/how-to-sign-a-will/).

If you have never made a will, do that after the deed poll too. An unmarried partner
 still inherits nothing without one.
 [How to make a will in the UK](/how-to-make-a-will/) is £35 once.

Need the deed poll

Adult name change, England and Wales, £14.99, PDF in minutes.

            Start a deed poll — £14.99

Need the will in the new name

Free lifetime update if you already have a SwiftWill. £35 if you do not.

            Update or start a will

## When should you skip an online deed poll?

Skip Instant Deed Poll — and skip any PDF — if someone with parental responsibility
 will not consent to a child’s name change, if a court order already governs the name,
 if you need to enrol for a company that insists on The Gazette, or if you are dealing
 with a fraud or identity dispute. Those are solicitor or court jobs.

Skip SwiftWill as the place to buy a deed poll. We do not sell them. Skip Instant Deed
 Poll as the place to buy a will. They do not sell them. Two products, two checkouts,
 same company, no bundle upsell at either payment page.

## The verdict: deed poll first, then the will?

Yes, for a straightforward adult name change in England and Wales: get the deed poll
 (£14.99 at Instant Deed Poll, or free DIY), sign it with two witnesses, notify
 record-holders, then remake the will in the new name. This page is not Scotland, not a
 child-dispute kit, and not a passport application. Use gov.uk for the statutory limits
 and Instant Deed Poll for the document.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I change my name in the UK?

In England and Wales, if you are 16 or over, you make an unenrolled deed poll: a written deed, signed in wet ink with two independent adult witnesses. Print it, sign it, then tell passport, DVLA, HMRC, banks and everyone else. Instant Deed Poll prepares the document for £14.99. Scotland has different rules. Then remake your will in the new name — a name change does not revoke a will.

### What is a deed poll?

A deed poll is the legal document that proves you have changed your name. There is no prescribed government form. It is valid once it contains the right declarations and you sign it in ink in front of two independent adult witnesses. Enrolment at the High Court is optional and costs £53.05 — it puts the change on public record; it does not make the deed “more legal”.

### Do I need a deed poll after marriage?

No, not to take your spouse’s or civil partner’s surname. Send a copy of the marriage or civil partnership certificate to record-holders. You still need a new will: marriage revokes an existing will unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage.

### Does changing my name cancel my will?

No. A name change does not revoke a will the way marriage usually does. A will in your old name is still a will, but it slows probate while executors prove you are the same person. Finish the deed poll and ID updates, then remake and re-sign the will in your current name. SwiftWill updates are free.

### How much does a deed poll cost?

You can draft one yourself for free. Instant Deed Poll is £14.99 once for an adult document (PDF in minutes). Other online services typically charge £17–£36 and post a paper copy. High Court enrolment is £53.05. A solicitor often charges £150–£300 for the same legal effect.

### Is an online deed poll legal?

Yes. Gov.uk confirms you can make an unenrolled deed poll yourself, or use a specialist agency for a fee. Validity is the wording plus two witnesses, not who generated the PDF. Home-printed, then signed in wet ink, is an original — a photocopy of an already-signed deed is what organisations reject.

### Will HM Passport Office accept a home-printed deed poll?

Yes, if it is the original wet-ink signed document, plus one “name in use” document dated within 12 months (bank statement, payslip). Instant Deed Poll’s wording is written to that standard. Check the current passport rules on gov.uk if you are citing this years later.

### Do I need a solicitor to change my name?

No. Changing your name by deed poll is not a reserved legal activity. Use a solicitor if a court order, adoption, or a dispute about a child’s name is involved, or if you are a registered offender with extra reporting duties. Straightforward adult changes do not need one.

### What about a child’s name change?

A child deed poll needs everyone with parental responsibility to consent. Instant Deed Poll’s child document is £17.99 and includes consent letters. If someone with PR will not agree, that is a court application — not a PDF. SwiftWill does not sell child deed polls.

### Is Instant Deed Poll part of SwiftWill?

They are related services from the same company (Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd). SwiftWill does not sell deed polls. Instant Deed Poll does not sell wills. The links are not a paid placement. Use each product for what it is.

Canonical HTML: https://swiftwill.co.uk/changing-your-name/
Markdown: https://swiftwill.co.uk/changing-your-name.md
Last modified: 2026-08-22
Author: Marcus Kaiser (https://swiftwill.co.uk/author/marcus-kaiser/)