Notary and Solicitor professions are independent of each other, with distinct functions and regulations in place.
Qualifying as a Notary involves in-depth learning about private international law, unlike Solicitors. Notaries must understand the specific requirements of foreign jurisdictions when it comes to executing and delivering documents, including formalities such as the Apostille and Embassy legalisation. Notaries are knowledgeable in these areas and are also insured to handle foreign documents.
While Solicitors play an important role in legal matters, Notaries go the extra mile by meticulously maintaining a register and protocol of all authorized documents in their presence. This commitment to record-keeping guarantees the highest level of accuracy. As a result, the Acts of Notaries in England and Wales can be confidently relied upon and easily verified by those who have a legitimate interest.
Experience has shown that utilising a solicitor for processing documents needed abroad can sometimes result in those documents being turned down in the foreign jurisdiction. This can lead to unnecessary delays, additional costs, and significant inconvenience for clients if the paperwork is not managed correctly.