Frequently asked questions

WHAT IS NOTARY?
A notary is a qualified lawyer. They are appointed  and governed by the Court of Faculties of the Archbishop of Canterbury. A Notary Public is professionally qualified to authenticate and certify the execution of documents intended for use outside the UK. Notarial acts are relied upon by courts, registrars and trading partners all over the world.

WHY DO YOU NEED A NOTARY?
A notary is required to independently witness and authenticate legal documents and transactions, in particular when they need to be submitted to authorities overseas.

WHAT ARE THE FEES?
Our notary fees are based on the time spent and the complexity of the work. Time will include notarising and if necessary legalising the document(s), assessment of the work, potentially liaising with your representatives, research, preparation of our notarial certificate/document(s) and recording of the notarial act. Fees will normally be payable at or before your meeting by bank transfer, card or cash. We will confirm our costs once we have received your document(s) prior to our meeting.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SOLICITOR AND A NOTARY PUBLIC?
A UK Notary Public is a specialist lawyer. Most notaries are also solicitors but they do not have to be. Being a notary is a separate profession.

WHAT IS AN APOSTILLE?
An apostille is a certificate issued (in the U.K.) by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It confirms that a document was signed by the person whose signature is on the document.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING TO A MEETING?
You will need to bring to the meeting some form of I.D. and a proof of address in order for us to confirm your identity. Ideally this would be your passport and a recent bank statement or utility bill. In addition, you will need to bring the documents you need to sign, if you have not previously emailed them to us. We encourage you to email your documents and any instructions you may have received, in order to give you an accurate quote.

DO I NEED TO MEET IN PERSON?
In order to provide our services, we require your presence at our offices. However, in exceptional circumstances, we understand that a home visit may be necessary. Please note that this option may incur an additional cost.

WHAT DOES LEGISLATION OF A DOCUMENT MEAN?
Legalisation or authentication means confirmation of the authenticity of origin of a document by way of an Apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It is usually done by having an official stamp placed on the document by the FCDO after it has been notarised by the Notary Public.

CAN YOU ADVISE ME ON THE CONTENT OF MY DOCUMENTS?
Our responsibility as notaries is limited to the notarial formalities and does not extend to other documents that we have not prepared. If you require assistance with these additional documents, it is advisable to seek separate advice.