Change of Name: The Law and Practice

There are many reasons why a name is initially given to a child by his or her parents and as many reasons for the parents or either of them or the child or others to desire to alter the name. Similarly there are many reasons an adult person may wish to take on a different name. Often there is underlying deep-rooted political, social cultural tribal or religious reasons but there may also be reasons to keep up with fashion or a trend. Whatever the reason it is important that the name taken or assumed is legally recognised.

This fully updated fourth edition like its predecessors provides a simple straightforward guide on why and how person’s acquires a name and how that name may be changed so that it is given legal recognition to identify the person concerned for all purposes.

The traditional or typical family no longer exists due to the changes in the way families are formed, how households are structured and how conception of a child is achieved. There are also increasing number of single parent families or ‘reconstituted’ families. This pattern is forever evolving. It is therefore not surprising that it gives rise to questions about how and who can register the birth of a child and give the child its first name, who decides the surname the child should take and whether the names given can be changed by re-registration or otherwise.

This edition provides up-to-date provisions of all the relevant statutory material and case law which in particular applies to the issue of changing a child’s name when conflict arises between the parents or those with parental responsibility for the child, the biological parents and others.

Change of Name: The Law and Practice is an accessible guide to this sometimes tricky area of law and includes a range of precedents that will prove invaluable to the busy practitioner.