Marriage questions Some advice Please

[tobeloy]

Hope someone can help with advice as to if this marriage is legal....

A close family friend got married a few years ago in a church ceremony, it was a very small ceremony....anyway the question I need answering regards if the marriage would be classed as official due to the following.

Male friend before marriage has surname (in this case we will use hypothetical names) say smith which is surname born with...but then decides because they dont like surname of smith that they change surname to jones but not by deed poll, this is perfectly legal as long as they inform all relevant people whom they deal with.....

Anyway few years later friend decides to get married and uses new surname (jones) to go through ceremony in even though they have not officially changed name by deed poll.....is the marriage still legal as they have not changed their surname officially yet married in the new surname???

[noxlumos]

Yeah I believe it is, you can be known as anything as long as it's not for the purposes of defrauding anyone etc, you don't need to change your name by deedpoll at all, or at least you certainly didn't have to, if that's no longer the case then it's a fairly recent change.

[tobeloy]

Thanks noxlumos.....

In a way a bit of bad news as friend has to start divorce proceedings then...will not go down smoothly

Cheers anyway

[helsbels666]

Did this friend not need to provide evidence of his id such as birth certificate or change of name deeds if his name wasnt same as birth certificate??

[kazza12345]

i cant see how that is possible - you by law have to produce your birth certificate when getting married dont you?

[undercovers]

there are two ways to change your name (1) by deed poll and (2) by marriage - we are used to women changing their name by marriage (e.g. taking the mans name) but not so used to men doing the same - although it is perfectly legal for him to do so e.g. they can change name to anything thus making it legal... so yup a legal marriage and a legal name.

[kazza12345]

actually i just read you only have to show b/c if under 23 - how odd!

[tobeloy]

Thanks for the replies.

Just to clarify, I asked friend myself about having to provide birth certificate as i thought this was mandatory when marrying yet friend states that this was not asked for??

And friend did not change surname by deed poll just aquired a new surname which is perfectly legal, however married in the new aquired surname but now is not sure as to if the marriage is legal as did not change surname officially

[spudqueen]

noxlumos is correct, you can be known by any name you like, and you don't have to change it by deed poll, though that would probably help when obtaining passport etc. Your legal name is the name that you are commonly known as, though proving this may become more and more difficult as more and more id is needing to be shown to all and sundry!