What is a notary and what do they do:
A notary is a qualified lawyer regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury and whose primary role is to authenticate documents signed in England and Wales and certifying its legitimacy so that it can be used and relied upon overseas. This involves preparing, witnessing or certifying documents. Given the largely internationalisation of life a notary is ever more necessary for both businesses and individuals.
The role of a notary:
A notary must verify the identity of their clients, make sure they understand the documentation they are entering into and establishing that they have legal authority to enter in to the documentation.
Typical stages of a notarial act:
- Receiving and reviewing the documents to be notarised together with any instructions you may have received;
- Liaising with your legal advisors or other bodies to obtain the necessary documentation to deal with the document (e.g. information from Companies House or foreign registries, powers of attorney etc);
- Checking the identity, capacity and authority of the person who is to sign the document;
- If a document is to be certified, checking with the issuing authorities that the document/award is genuine. In the case of academic awards, this would entail checking with the appropriate academic institutions;
- Meeting with the signatory to verify their identity and to ascertain that they understand what they are signing and that they are doing so of their own free will and ensuring that the document is executed correctly;
- Drafting and affixing or endorsing a notarial certificate to the document; and
- Arranging for the legalisation of the document as appropriate.
Fees and terms and conditions:
A fee quote will be provided at the outset of the transaction prior to work commencing. This will include details of any additional costs that may be payable such as apostille, consular legislation or courier fee’s.
The terms and conditions for Notarial services can be viewed here.
The Privacy Policy can be viewed here.
Contact us
For further information and to make an appointment with John Scott, Notary Public, to have a document or documents notarised at our offices in Peterborough, Oundle or Huntingdon, call 01733 882800 or email [email protected].
Please note that all notarial services are offered independently of Hunt & Coombs LLP.
