SERVICES
FOR INDIVIDUALS
NOTARY PUBLIC & LEGALISATION SERVICES IN HENLEY & READING
Notary Public & Legalisation Services
Victoria Baker and Karen Aujla are both qualified independent Notaries who are able to assist individuals with the authentication of all documents for use overseas.
What is a Notary?
If you have dealings outside of the UK, you may be asked to have a document certified, notarised, verified or authenticated by a Notary Public, rather than a solicitor, in order for them to be accepted in another country.
A Notary is a qualified lawyer – a member of the third and oldest branch of the legal profession in England and Wales. The rules which affect Notaries are very similar to the rules which affect Solicitors. They must be fully insured and maintain fidelity cover for the protection of their clients and the public and comply with stringent practice rules and rules relating to conduct and discipline. Notaries have to renew their practising certificates every year and can only do so if they have complied with the rules.
A Notary has two significant differences from a solicitor:
- Their duty is to the transaction as a whole and not just to one of the parties and their duty is to ensure that the transaction is fair to both sides.
- A Notary identifies themselves on documents by the use of their individual seal of office. This seal will be registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
What does a Notary do?
Notaries are primarily concerned with the preparation or authentication documents for use in foreign countries and the verification of signatures on those documents.
Notaries can examine and authenticate a wide range of documents and act as a witness to them or prepare certified copies of these. The notary’s role is to check that there is no fraud and to ensure that the signatory understands the documents and is entering into the transaction willingly.
A Notary will assist with the formalities required for completing a document to be notarised, however, they will not advise a client on the legal effect of the document or the transaction itself and the client must seek such advice from their own lawyer or the persons asking them to have the document notarised in the relevant jurisdiction.
Notaries can also assist in legalisation requirements whether at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and/or any other relevant embassy/consulate. Legalisation is the process by which the signature and seal of the Notary are authenticated by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office who then affix an Apostille. Countries which are not party to the Hague Convention on Apostilles require further legalisation from the relevant Foreign Embassy or High Commission.
Notarial services include:
- Certifying personal identification documents – passports etc, specimen signatures, photographs.
- Authenticating signatures.
- Taking witness statements, affidavits, declarations and depositions for use overseas.
- Verifying educational qualifications from UK institutions.
- Witnessing signatures on documents for the sale and purchase of foreign land.
- Witnessing the consent by parents/ guardians of a child to travel abroad.
- Foreign adoptions.
- Legalisation.
How we can help
Independent Notaries Victoria Baker and Karen Aujla can deal with all of your notarial requirements and can provide advice in respect of notarial and legalisation issues across a range of legal areas. Whether you are an individual with a single document or many, have a deadline or a limited budget, they can help you find a solution that fits your needs.
You can review Victoria’s terms of business here – Notary Terms of Business 2023 THP VB
You can review Karen’s terms of business here – Karen Aujla – Notary Terms of Business 2023 THP KA
For more information please contact Victoria Baker, Notary Public and Solicitor or Karen Aujla, Notary Public and Solicitor.