What is a Notary Public?

A Notary Public is a lawyer who has extra qualifications to provide notarial services which include:

• Attesting Powers of Attorney and other documents for use in countries throughout the world.
• Certifying documents relating to companies registered at Companies House or in foreign Commercial Register.  Assisting with documents required to set up a company abroad.
• Applying for legalisation of documents at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (sometimes called obtaining an apostille) and for legalisation when necessary from the relevant Embassy.
• Administering Oaths, Affidavits and Statutory Declarations for Scotland and foreign jurisdictions.  Certifying copies of academic qualifications, passports and other documents.
• Affidavits confirming freedom to marry (often required to marry abroad).
• Documents for foreign adoption applications.
• Attesting Spanish Wills.

Notaries are principally involved with notarising and certifying documents which are accepted as totally valid in foreign jurisdictions.  The task of a Notary is to verify the identity and address of the signatory and his/her capacity and intention.  A Notary’s work is all about verifying facts and making checks concerning the contents of the document.

A Notary would require you to sign the document in his presence and stamp and emboss his seal and obtain an apostille if necessary.

A Notary will charge you a fee for carrying out his notarial services.  In some instances, a fixed fee may be agreed with you.  A primary function of the Notary is to identify the client who is signing the document.  If the document needs to be notarised on behalf of a company then the Notary would need to establish the signatory has authority to represent it.  The Notary owes a duty of confidentiality to his clients.  The Notary is required to retain details of the transaction including a copy of the notarial act and the personal identification documents.

This note contains a brief summary of the notarial services and what a Notary Public does.  If you have any questions about notarial services or would simply like further information about the Notary Public services please contact Pam Deol, a Notary Public, at pdeol@thursfields.co.uk or www.pamdeol.co.uk or by phone on 0121 227 3878 or 07841051384.