Letters of consent examples and templates

Getting a birth certificate

Once you have executed a deed poll on your child’s behalf you must inform everyone (school, doctor, bank, etc) of the change of name. Most organisations will require a letter signed by everyone with parental responsibility confirming that they consent to the change of name. You can use the templates on this page to compose your letter of consent.

Letter for parent with sole responsibility

This letter is to be used when only one person has parental responsibility for the child whose name is being changed.

Miss Jane Smith
172 Church Street
Ilford
IG1 1NX

25th February 2020

To whom it may concern.

Dear Sir or Madam

I, Jane Smith, being the only person with parental responsibility for my son Luke James Smith, consent to his name being changed to Luke James Williams-Smith.

Yours faithfully

Jane Smith
Mother


Letter for parents with joint responsibility

This letter is to be used when two or more people have joint parental responsibility for the child whose name is being changed.

James Williams and Jane Smith
172 Church Street
Ilford
IG1 1NX

5th February 2020

To whom it may concern.

Dear Sir or Madam

We, James Robert Williams and Jane Smith, having joint parental responsibility for our son Luke James Smith, consent to his name being changed to Luke James Williams-Smith.

Yours faithfully

Jane Smith
Mother

James Williams
Father

Articles in this section

Parental consent requirements

The first step in legally changing a child’s name is to obtain consent from everyone with parental responsibility for the child. This means that you should have a letter

What is parental responsibility?

Parental responsibility is the legal term used to describe the collective rights and duties a parent has in relation to their child. It is defined under Section 3 of the Children Act

Who has parental responsibility for my child?

The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including-

Can I change my child’s name without full parental consent?

As a rule you must have permission from everyone that has parental responsibility for a child in order to legally change the child’s

Can a birth certificate be updated?

As a general rule you can not get the name on a child’s birth certificate changed because a birth certificate is considered a historical document, not proof of identity, and therefore

Letters of consent examples and templates

Once you have executed a deed poll on your child’s behalf you must inform everyone

Need additional help or advice?

If you have any questions about changing a child’s name we can offer free help and advice. Just call 020 8150 2010, send an e-mail to  enquiries@deedpolls.com.

Legally change your child’s name today!
Apply Now
Scroll to Top