Notarial Services for Business

Notarial Services

Setting ourselves apart from the vast majority of other law firms, we can also provide notarial services for you through our qualified Notary Public, John Chadaway.

If you require the services of a Notary Public, please contact John Chadaway

A Notary Public is a member of the oldest branch of the legal profession in the United Kingdom and is a qualified lawyer. A Notary Public is appointed by the Court of Faculties of the Archbishop of Canterbury and are, like solicitors, subject to rules and regulations.

A Notary Public can undertake a wide range of tasks including:

  • Authenticating personal documents and information for use abroad (e.g. for immigration or emigration, to apply to get married abroad, to work abroad, to allow educational or professional qualifications or declarations to be recognised abroad).
  • Assisting with the authentication of documents required for the purchase or sale of land and property abroad.
  • Authenticating Powers of Attorney for use abroad.
  • Authenticating business and company documentation and/or information and/or otherwise providing confirmations as to the status of companies or identities of their directors.

Legalisation is the method by which a Notary Public’s signature and seal are authenticated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and/or relevant Embassy or Consulate so that the work of the Notary Public may be accepted abroad.

A lot of counties require only a single certificate in this respect from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This certificate is called an Apostille.

In addition to the Apostille, some counties require that a further certificate is obtained from their own Embassy or Consulate.

Some counties (usually those which are, or have been, part of the British Commonwealth or parts of the United States) do not require any form of legalisation.

If you require notarial services, John will discuss what (if any) legalisation you may require along with the costs and timeframes.

Please note that we operate a minimum charge of £250 plus VAT for notarial services.

Our costs are calculated based upon the time incurred at our Notary’s hourly rate of £300 plus VAT.

Please note that there may be additional disbursements that will be charged to you as well, which will be specific to your matter. These could include, without limitation, legalisation/apostille/consular agent costs, translation costs, General Register Office costs and/or travel/parking costs.

Each notarial matter is different, and the requirements will vary according to whether the client is a private individual or a company. Some of the typical key stages are likely to include:

  1. Receiving and reviewing the documents to be notarised together with any instructions you may have received
  2. 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)
  3. Checking the identity, capacity and authority of the person who is to sign the document
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. Drafting and affixing or endorsing a notarial certificate to the document
  7. Arranging for the legalisation of the document as appropriate
  8. Arranging for the storage of copies of all notarised documents in accordance with the requirements of the Notarial Practice Rules 2019

Please note that we are insured under a professional indemnity policy for at least £1,000,000.00.

John Chadaway’s 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

If you are dissatisfied about the service you have received please do not hesitate to contact John.

If we are unable to resolve the matter you may then complain to the Notaries Society of which John is 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. 

In that case please write (but do not enclose any original documents) with full details 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. 

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 

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.