name change

[thefoxman]

is it possible to have my six year old daughters surname changed from her mothers to mine (fathers) while we are not married. we are planning to get married in the future.

[acorn]

You can change your name or your childs name by deed pole. If they are under 16 you must have parental responsibility (ie she is yours and your partners biological child ) otherwise you would need the consent of the real father. You dont need to be married.

[dotjhawkes]

If you are the child's natural father and you marry her mother within the child's lifetime, and you are already on her birth certificate as the father, then you can ask the registrar to re register the birth as a legitimate birth in retrospect after you are married. It is confusing but the registrar will explain the necessary application. In the mean time, add your surname to the end of her current name by using a hyphen, it will be legal if both your's and your partners names appear on her birth certificate. It is better to start to do this now to establish use. For a passport however it would not be valid.

[noxlumos]

You should actually be able to apply directly to the registrar and change your child's surname. It's a bit fiddly but it can be done, you and her Mum will have to both go in to do it though.Ring them and they'll tell you what you need to do.