Why (or when) someone would need this service?
If you need to sign a legal document or have a document authenticated or certified for abroad. For example:
- Powers of attorney for abroad
- Sales or purchases of land abroad
- Documents for the administration of estates of someone abroad
- Foreign marriages, adoptions
- Children travelling with only one parent or someone not a parent
- Certifying documents for emigration purposes or to practise your job or profession abroad e.g. degree certificates
How does the process work/what are the steps?
You bring your document(s) and sign it/them in the presence of the notary who verifies your identity from your passport and your address (from bank statements, utility bills, driving licence etc) and the notary signs, stamps and seals, so that your document will be accepted abroad.
How long does it take?
The notary is available usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays and you can see her with an appointment which can usually be made even on the day. The typical appointment is between 20 minutes and half an hour.
You can take your document(s) away with you afterwards, unless the notary has to verify something with third parties (e.g. degree certificates with the university concerned) or send your document for legalisation (verification of the notary’s signature and seal by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by an apostille or by the consulate of the country concerned)
Is it expensive?
If there aren’t too many documents and it can be dealt with in under half an hour the charge is £110 (or £90 if it is very simple, one or two documents only and can be dealt with in under 20 minutes).
If there are a lot of documents, or verification from others is required or the notary has to prepare a document for you or send it for legalisation for you, the notary will tell you how much it will be.
What are the things people should consider before calling?
You need to make an appointment so the notary will be available and tell you what to bring, please do not attend our offices without a prior appontment and expect to be seen. Please contact us via email notary@grantsaw.co.uk.
Tell the notary if the document is being signed for a company as checks may need to be done in advance of the company.
Don’t sign your document(s) in advance.
If there are any mistakes on the document, check what to do with whoever sent it to you, or if there is anything you don’t understand before you come.
If it is an Affidavit, check the lawyer has sent you all the exhibits (these are the documents that the Affidavit refers to in this way: “there is now produced to me and marked”…)
If you need a translation notarised, you need to tell the translator before you get it translated as they, not you, are the ones who need to bring the translation to a notary and they may want to use a notary convenient to them. If your document is not in English, check you understand it by asking the person who gave it to you for a translation.
UK births, marriages and death certificates cannot be copied and the copies certified by a notary. You need to get the official copies and use these. You can get extra copies from the General Registry Office online. https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate
Why are Grant Saw the best people for the job?
Joanna Godden is a specially trained lawyer who is a notary public. Not every solicitor is a notary public. Her signature and seal are on record with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and many consulates.
She also speaks Spanish and French and can deal with documents in these languages though cannot usually prepare legal documents in these languages.
Your document may also need additional witnesses and our office can provide this.
Notarial services are provided by Joanna Godden. As a Notary, Joanna is independent from Grant Saw Solicitors LLP. The work Joanna does as a Notary is treated as part of the Solicitor’s practice for insurance but for no other purpose.
What if things go wrong?
1. My notarial practice is regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury:
The Faculty Office
1, The Sanctuary
Westminster
London
SW1P 3JT
Telephone 020 7222 5381
Email Faculty.office@1thesanctuary.com
Website www.facultyoffice.org.uk
2. If you are dissatisfied about the service you have received please do not hesitate to contact me.
3. If we are umable to resolve the matter you may have to complain to the Notaries Society of which I am a member, who have a Complaints Procedure which is approved by the Faculty Office. This procedure is free to use and is designed to provide a quick resolution to any dispute.
4. In that case please write (but do not enclose any original documents) with full dtails of your complaint to :-
The Secretary of The Notaries Society
Old Church Chambers
23 Sandhill Road
St James
Northampton. NN5 5LH
Email secretary@thenotariessociety.org.uk
Tel : 01604 758908
If you have any difficulty in making a complaint in writing please do not hesitate to call the Notaries Society/the Faculty Office for assistance.
5. Finally, even if you have your complaint considered under the Notaries Society Approved Complaints Procedure, you may at the end of that procedure, or after a period of 6 months from the date you first notified me that you were dissatisfied, make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman*, if you are not happy with the result :
Legal Ombudsman
P O Box 6806
Wolverhampton. WV1 9WJ
Tel : 0300 555 0333
Email : enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website : www.legalombudsman.org.uk
6. If you decide to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman you must refer your matter to the Legal Ombudsman :-
• Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint and
• Six years from the date of act/omission; or
• Three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint (only if the act or omission took place more than six years ago)
The act or omission, or when you should have reasonably known there was cause for complaint, must have been after 5th October 2010.
*certain kinds of commercial entities are not eligible to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman – please refer to the Legal Ombudsman Scheme Rules or consult the Faculty Office
I have professional indemnity insurance of up to £1m and also fidelity insurance as a member of The Notaries Guarantee Limited of up to £1m.
Meet the Notary Public team
