Name Change Gazette Guidance
After divorce, you may wish to resume a former name or adopt another lawful name. The relevant supporting records can depend on your circumstances and on the records you plan to update.
The practical answer
A divorce decree may be an important supporting record when the name change relates to the end of a marriage. Each institution can have its own process for updating a name, even after a Gazette publication.
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Use this as a practical preparation list. The correct sequence can vary, so confirm the requirements that apply to your particular records.
Decide whether you are restoring a former name or choosing another name.
Keep the divorce-related record and current identity documents together.
Prepare the documentation appropriate to your circumstances.
Check the separate update requirements of the records you need to change.
Common questions
You may request to return to a former name, subject to the applicable procedure and the requirements of the authority or institution updating your record.
It can be an important supporting document when the request follows divorce. Requirements vary by the process and record involved.
A request to restore a former surname may be possible. Keep the records that connect your current name, former name and divorce circumstances available for review.
No. A name-change document may support later updates, but banks, identity authorities and other record holders generally process their records separately.
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