Did you know that a document cannot be considered a legal document until it has been attested? Attesting a document is the act of signing it in the presence of an attesting witness. When first presented, 50 to 60 percent of documents that are attested include incorrect signatures. Accordingly, if you sign your document incorrectly and send it or the passport office, there may be extra fees and delays.

We've learned that you might require new deed polls if you alter your name by deed poll, get married, renew your passport, or possibly get an inheritance. Instead of wasting time hunting for a document that you might have authored years ago, it is preferable to be able to recover an original. It's possible that you'll find that there isn't any actual proof of a name change. Contrary to popular belief, you have never had to notify the government or another official entity of a name change with the Deed poll checking service. Anyone over the age of sixteen may change their name whenever they wish, provided they are not doing so fraudulently or illegally.

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The National Archives cannot provide legal advice. If you require legal advice on how to produce evidence of your name change to apply for a passport, for instance, you should speak with a lawyer or Citizens Advice. Many people in the past chose to conceal their name change. For example, when divorce was more difficult, some people would simply take on the name of their new partner to appear married and have legitimate children.

Someone might have written a news release or announced their name change in front of a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths if they wished to make it more official. In the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as earlier, private acts of parliament and, to a lesser extent, royal permits were used for official name changes; however, deeds poll replaced them in the 20th century.