1. Do I need to attend in person?

It is essential that whoever is signing the document attends the appointment in person and signs in the presence of the notary.  Please do not sign your document before you come. We have a car park adjacent to our offices with disabled access.  Please advise us if you would like us to reserve a space in our car park for your visit.  If you have a particular difficulty which prevents you from getting to us, it may be possible for one of our notaries to visit you.  There will be an additional fee for this service.

2. How much does the notary service cost?

We like to have as much detail as possible beforehand about the proposed transaction as it is not easy to quote accurately without this.  A simple transaction will be subject to our minimum fee for one document, currently £70 + VAT.  We will give an estimate beforehand and quote a fee or the basis on which it is calculated before work is started.  There are additional charges for disbursements or expenses.

3. What identification does the notary need?

Following the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, notaries are obliged to keep sufficient evidence on their files of the identity and the address of all their clients before they undertake any work.  Each person whose signature they are required to certify must provide one of the following original identification documents at the time of the appointment:

• Passport
• Driving Licence (with photo card)
• Other government issue ID (with photo and signature)

Plus one proof of address:

• Bank statement or letter from bank (not less than 3 months old)
• Utility bill (not less than 3 months old) (not mobile phone bill) or latest council tax bill
• Tenancy Agreement or housing association rent card
• Inland Revenue tax demand or self assessment statement

Corporate Clients need to provide evidence of the due incorporation of the company or entity by way of one of the following documents:

• Extract from the company register 
• Certificate of Incorporation
• Latest report and audited accounts
• Evidence of being regulated by a regulatory body such as the Law Society or FSA.

Partnership Clients need to provide their Partnership Agreement.

• In addition to the above, individual signatories will need to bring their personal identification documents.

4. What is legalisation and what is an Apostille?

Legalisation or authentication means confirmation of the authenticity of a notarised document.  The consulate of the country in which the document is to be used will apply its official stamp after the document has been signed and sealed by the notary.  A notary will need to provide the consulate with a specimen of his signature and seal so that this can be compared to the document to confirm that it is genuine. 

In order to simplify the legalisation process countries who are signatories to the Hague Convention have opted for a certificate known as an Apostille.  An apostille is issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office here in the UK.  It is attached to a document once it has been signed and sealed by a notary.  The purpose of this is to authenticate the signature and seal of the notary, whose details are kept on their register.

Countries which are not signatories to the Hague Convention may require consular legalisation in place of the apostille.  It is sometimes necessary for a document to be sent to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for legalisation prior to legalisation at the relevant Consulate. 

When taking instructions on the execution of your document it is worth checking on the requirements for legalisation.

Consular fees for legalisation vary and they need to be checked with the relevant Consulate. 

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office is in Milton Keynes. They charge a fee currently of £30 per document for an apostille. Documents must be sent to them by post.  We are happy to take care of this for you.  We charge a fee, currently £35 plus VAT for arranging this service.  The document usually comes back to us within a week.

If you need an apostille urgently, as business users we are able to send documents to the FCO Central London office which offers a same day premium service at a cost, currently £75 per apostille.  For arranging this we make a charge, currently £125 plus VAT.

If you would like to find out more about the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Apostille and legalisation service visit their website at www.fco.gov.uk

5. What should I do before I see a notary?

If you know you need to have a document notarised, it would be helpful if you ask as much as possible about what you are required to do so that you can be confident that you understand the process and the content of the document.   If you are able to, when you contact us to arrange an appointment, please email or fax the document and instructions to us, or provide us with a copy so that the notary is able to accurately advise on the fee for the work and can advise if he sees any irregularities or inaccuracies that may need to be amended or clarified before you attend the appointment.

6. How do I get my document translated?

If the document requires translation we may be able to assist you to find help with this.  We do not offer translation services ourselves.

7. What do I do if I do not have a document and I need help to prepare one?

It may be possible for us to prepare a document for you.  However, the notary is only familiar with the law in England and Wales and is not able to guarantee that a document will meet the requirements of a foreign jurisdiction.

Sometimes the notary will need to prepare a more formal document (Notarial Certificate) in order to attest to facts witnessed by or proved to him and attested under his signature and seal.   If the notary prepares a document for you, he will need to make an additional charge for this.

8. What records does a Notary keep?

In addition to the copies of your identity documents, the notary will also keep a full set of the originals or copies of all the official documents the notary makes and this serves as a permanent record.  As a notary is a public official, documents and records including copies are open to inspection by anyone who has a proper interest in them.