The consent of every person with parental responsibility for a child must be obtained before a child’s name is formally changed. We can help you to determine who has parental responsibility for the child if you are unsure.
Where those with parental responsibility do not agree that a child’s name should be changed, it is possible to make an application to the court to determine which name the child should have.
When making a decision, the court’s “paramount consideration” will be the welfare of the child, and the court considers a number of factors when making a decision, such as the wishes and feelings of the child (depending on their age and maturity), the child’s needs, the effect on the child of any change of circumstances, and any characteristics of the child which the court considers relevant.
Most change of name applications relate to a child’s surname. Generally, an application stands a better prospect of success where the applicant wishes for the child to have each of their parents’ surnames (whether or not with a hyphen) and an application is less likely to succeed if a parent seeks to change a child’s surname entirely. It does, however, depend on the circumstances surrounding the application.
If you have any queries please contact our expert Family team on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of the Team will be in touch.