Can i add to my sons name??

[looby1914]

My 3 year old son has his fathers surname. Now i want to add my surname to his makeing it double-barrelled. Can this be done without getting permission from his father who does have parental responsibility. I didnt have much choice on my son haveing his fathers surname at the time as it was a domestic violent relationship that i only have recently managed to escape and have even had to stop him haveing access to our son also.

Does anybody have any information on what i can do if anything. Ive looked on deed poll but that says i need permission from all the people with parental responsibility. Many thanks x

[Buenchico]

Point 1:
You can't change your son's birth certificate. (Some amendments to birth certificates are, under certain circumstances, possible but the change you suggest isn't one of them).

Point 2:
As you already seem to have discovered, anyone with parental responsibility must give their permission before a child's 'official' name can be altered:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/ParentsRig hts/DG_4002954

Point 3:
While your son must (unless his father agrees otherwise) retain his current name for 'official' purposes (e.g. when you apply for a passport for him), you can call him any name you choose. When I was teaching we had dozens of pupils who might, for example, have been 'officially' named as Mark Smith but who was always known (to staff and pupils alike) as Mark Robinson. The only time that can be a problem is when a secondary school enters pupils for public examinations (e.g. GCSEs). It's then a requirement that the young person's 'official' name is used (and that name will appear on the resulting exam certificates).

So your best option (unless you can get the father to agree to a change) is probably to retain your son's official name but to simply call him by the name of your choice. Just make sure that his future schools are aware of the situation. (As I've suggested, most schools will have several pupils in every year group with both 'official' and 'unofficial' names). If your son so chooses he can always make the 'official' change (by deed poll) when he becomes an adult.

Chris

[looby1914]

thankyou very much for that i rang my solicitor today to see what they suggest might attempt to get the fathers permission but im doubting he will give it