Reverting to maiden name became exhausting process for divorcee

IT is presented to us as the easy way to do our shopping, banking, holiday bookings and even pay our taxes.

But the move to running our lives through the internet has one spectacular disadvantage, as one Scots woman discovered.

For when Jackie Gilchrist decided to revert to her maiden name after she and her husband divorced, she found herself writing or making a staggering 84 phone calls, emails, letters and personal visits in order to do so.

The process, which she says has taken hours every week for the last month, has left her exhausted – and she hasn’t finished yet.

Her moment of ultimate exasperation came when, after visiting her bank branch in Edinburgh to change the name on her mortgage and bank accounts, she received a customer service follow-up email asking: “How did we do?”

It addressed her by her married name.

Jackie, who works for a tour operator, said: “The guy at the bank was really helpful, he did everything there and then. Then 24 hours later I got an email using my married name, asking how they had got on.

“A similar thing happened with a travel booking engine I use. I got an email saying my name change had been done. Then 24 hours later I got an email in my married name, asking: ‘How did we perform?’”

One key problem Jackie, 50, from Falkirk, encountered was that some official organisations insisted on documentary proof – such as an official letter in her maiden name – to confirm the change.

“The passport office want something from an official agency. But I haven’t had a letter in three weeks – all these organisations email me – so what am I supposed to do?

“I have spent a couple of hours every few nights for the last month doing this.”

Jackie wanted to change everything in one go to avoid losing track herself.

“You end up in a crumpled heap.

“I cannot wait until its all over, but I have still to change my driving licence and car insurance.”

The organisations Jackie has had to contact include the taxman, her bank, dentist, optician, iTunes, various airlines and her credit card provider.

Of them all, the airlines were the worst, with one charging her £100 to change her surname on a pre-booked flight.

Jackie believes the problem is a symptom of modern life, rather than sexism.

“When I got married 20 years ago, I just sent my marriage certificate to a few organisations and that was it.

“Today we all have these huge online presences. And because we don’t speak to real people, its much harder to change your online profile.

“It’s just a downside of modern life.”

A spokesman for Citizens Advice Scotland said: “In Scotland you can change your name at any time, provided you do not intend to deceive or defraud anyone.

“How to go about this depends on a number of factors, like whether you want to officially record the change.

“Either way we recommend you inform any agencies you deal with regularly, for example your children’s school or the Benefits Agency.

“Get more at citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland”