Q. 1. I recently implemented a legal name change. I am in the process of advising everyone to ensure that the name reflected on my legal documents is my new name. How do I go about changing my Birth Certificate? Do I contact the Church where I was baptised?

A. 1. There is no need to contact anyone. A Baptismal Certificate cannot be changed. It is a permanent record of an event that happened during a certain time at a certain place. To change a name on a Baptismal Certificate would result in the forgery of a Church document. The Certificate would no longer reflect the accurate name of all those who participated in the Church event, such including the celebrant (priest), the baptised, the parents, the godparents or witnesse, and any other persons who may have been present.