One of Pablo Escobar's children had to change his name so that he could have a normal life
has access to it. There are standard fees charged by the Deeds
after the demise of his drug lord father.
Office. These change from time to time. Your Notary Public
- To dissociate themselves from an ethnic origin.
will advise you of the costs including the costs for the Notices
- Commercial sponsorship - some people change their names in order to move
mentioned earlier.
particular brands, or to name a business that requires to be named after yourself or past partners. A good example is the law field. A law firm can only be named after the existing
*#Step 4: Change your Birth Certificate*
or past partners. If for example I want to set up my own practice and adopt a new name
Once the Deeds Office has registered the change of name,
altogether and use that for my practice I can simply change my name to reflect the name
armed with the Notarial Deed of Change of Name, you head
and proceed to registration with the Law Society.
to the Registrar of Births and Deaths' Office so that you
- Protest or activism (e.g.old name Giribheti Tsvakai, new name Giribheti Musaurayamhuka)
formalise the change of name through change of the Birth
- To change to a fictional character's name,
Certificate to indicate the new name. Please keep the Notices
- To make their name more attractive or "catchy" so as to increase their chance of success.
you received from the Government Gazette and the
This has been the trend in Zimbabwe where dozens of artists do not use their real names
newspaper as these would be needed at the Registrar's Office.
for the performances. Many do not formalise the change. The stage names can be registered
You also need to update your Identity Documents for example
as trademarks. The artist will still need to use their real names for contracts.
your National ID, and Passport so that it reflects the new name.
- To change the legal name to the one used in everyday life (e.g.where middle name has been
Do you change your academic certificates? You do not necessarily need to change these. You use the
used throughout life) - To remove superstitious consequences of the old name (e.g. old name Muroyi, new name
Notarial Deed of Change of Name to explain the change of name. This will suffice. The Notarial Deed of Change of
Giribheti Muchengeti) - In one hilarious case, someone had to change their name after losing a bet - for example, a
Name has to be neatly prepared so that it's durable. You will
New Zealand man changed his name to Full Metal Havok More Sexy N Intelligent Than
need it along the way. Once you do this, you are good to go
Spock And All The Superheroes Combined With Frostnova, and apparently discovered it
with your new name. I trust that this has helped gain some
has been accepted when his passport expired.
perspective on one of the frequently asked questions in my practice of law.
*Procedure for Changing your name* Now that you know that there are several reasons for changing your name, are you ready for
*LEGAL DISCLAIMER*: The material contained in this post
the procedure that will enable you to change your name.
is set out in good faith for general guidance in the spirit of raising legal awareness on topical interests that affect most
*You need a Notary Public*
people on a daily basis. They are not meant to create an
I have seen several people in town and on social media advertising that they can do "change
attorney - client relationship or constitute solicitation. No
of names". That is illegal as only Notaries Public are allowed to preside over the process,
liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a
and most importantly, they do not advertise. Lawyers are not allowed to advertise. Do not
result of relying in particular circumstances on statements
just go to anyone who claims they can assist you with the process. You need a Notary Public.
made in the post. Laws and regulations are complex and liable
The legal and ethical requirement is that you are supposed to appear before a Notary Public.
to change, and readers should check the current position with
This means you should actually know the person who is handling the matter for you as a
the relevant authorities before making personal arrangements.
Notary Public. A Notary Public is lawyer who is admitted as a Notary Public. The difference between lawyers and notaries public is simple, all notaries public are lawyers, but not all
*Arthur Marara* is a corporate and family law attorney. He is
lawyers are notaries public.
also a notary public and conveyancer. He has helped clients in the past set up family trusts, write and lodge wills. Follow him
*#Step 1: Notarial Deed of Change of Name*
on social media (Facebook Attorney Arthur Marara), or
The Notary Public will prepare a document called, a Notarial Deed of Change of Name for
WhatsApp him on +263780055152 or
you. You will have to appear before the Notary Public together with two witnesses and sign
email attorneyarthurmarara@gmail.com.
the Deed. Once the Deed has been signed it will be notarised. *#Step 2: Give Legal Notice of the Deed* You have seen these legal notice of Change of Name. Once you have appeared before the Notary Public you need to give Notice to the world that you have changed your name. The purpose of this is for the world to know that you have changed your name, and if anyone has any objections to this deed, they can lodge it. The standard period for the notice is two weeks. The Notice has to be published in the Government Gazette, and a newspaper circulating in your area or wide circulation. The Herald for example is one such newspaper with wide circulation. *#Step 3: Lodging of the Deed* The Notary Public will lodge the Deed with the Deeds Office for the registration of the Deed. Once the Deed has been registered, it becomes a public document meaning anyone 03
SEPT 2021 THE ZIMSIMPLIFIED MAGAZINE
12TH EDITION
® MAGAZINE © 2021
