Other legal services

In addition to the services mentioned elsewhere on this website, we also advise on employment law, company law and provide notary public services.

This page tells you more about the notary public services provided by Robert Postlethwaite in central London.

About our notary public services

My office is in central London and close to a wide range of underground stations: Garden Studios, 11-15 Betterton Street, London WC2H 9BP. Please call my office on 020 7470 8805 to discuss what you need or please send me an email

What is a notary?

In England and Wales, a notary is a type of lawyer who is, uniquely, empowered to certify that a document signed there has been properly executed and is legally valid under English law, so that it can be used and relied upon overseas. Additionally, a notary is qualified to administer oaths and take affidavits, prepare deeds and documents for private and commercial use and verify and certify a wide range of facts and circumstances for reliance upon by third parties, whether in England and Wales or abroad.

Services

I act as notary for individuals, companies, law firms and any person who may need my services.

I am a central London notary, based in WC2, and am optimally located for easy access to most Embassies and Consulates, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other institutions in central and west London and the City.

Opening hours

If you would like me to act as your notary, please contact me to arrange an appointment.

Normal working hours are 9.00 until 5.30 on weekdays. Where required, I will always try to accommodate appointments before or after these hours.

How much will it cost?

I will aim to give you a clear guide to the cost before carrying out any work. I can usually do this when you contact me to arrange an appointment, as I will then be able to discuss your requirements, consider what is needed and the time it will take. However, if the matter is more complex, and requires me to examine documentation before giving a costs indication, I will provide this at your appointment.

Fees are calculated on the basis of:

• the nature and number of documents
• the time involved
• whether you come to me or I come to you
• where relevant, elements in respect of legalisation, translation, foreign languages and any other factors where these apply

All costs are payable in pounds sterling (£). I normally require payment on completion of our work and in many cases this will involve payment on the day of your appointment. I accept cash or cheques. For regular clients I am able to set up an account under which payment is normally due within 30 days of billing.

I aim to ensure that our fees are competitive and reasonable at all times.

Why use me as your notary?

More than ever before, London is an international commercial centre. Every day, people here are making life decisions, entering into transactions and completing business deals, frequently with an international dimension. Many of these are required to have full legal effect beyond England and Wales and often their validity will need to be confirmed by an English notary. As a notary based in central London, I am dedicated to playing what I believe is a vital role in international commerce and personal transactions.

When asking me to act as your notary:

• you will have the confidence of knowing that you are being assisted by an experienced business lawyer, familiar with the demands of both commercial and personal transactions
• you can be assured of thorough and careful handling of the transactions and documents with which you entrust me
• you will be working with someone who understands the importance of getting things done in a practical and professional way and under tight time constraints - but never at the expense of quality
• you will be advised of the cost of me service before you engage me and can be certain that it will be reasonable
• you will find me to be friendly, straightforward and approachable

Information you must provide at your appointment

Proof of identity and residence

If you engage me I will need to obtain evidence of both your identity and residence before I begin work. These are requirements of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

You will therefore need to provide the following information at your appointment. If you do not do so, I will not be able to act as your notary (unless you have previously provided me with such information or you are already known to me).

Proof of identity

You must provide one of the following original identification documents at the time of your appointment (this applies both for the person who is instructing me and for each person whose signature I am certifying):

• passport
• driving licence (with photocard)
• national identity card
• Lloyd's Pass
• an armed forces pass (with photo and signature)
• firearms licence (with photo and signature)
• other government issue ID (with photo and signature).

and

Proof of residence

You (and any other person whose signature I am certifying) must also produce proof of residence, which can be one of the following original documents:

• bank statement (not printed from the internet) or letter (not credit card statement or bill)
• utility bill (not a mobile phone bill) or current council tax bill addressed to the relevant person at that person's current place of residence as long as the person and property named on it relate to the person whose residence I am verifying
• letter of confirmation of residence from a lawyer, accountant, banker or doctor.

Additional identity requirements for corporate clients

Evidence of due incorporation/existence

If you are representing a company (or other organization), I will also need documentary evidence of the due incorporation/existence of the company or entity. This may be one of the following:

• extract from the company register
• goodstanding certificate
• certificate of incorporation
• latest report and audited accounts
• up to date certified copy of partnership agreement
• letter of identification from professional firm or bank or from a member of the prospective client who is already known to me
• evidence of current regulation by a regulatory body (such as the Law Society, FSA etc.)

In addition to the above, each individual signatory will also need to produce documents confirming their personal identity and residence, as previously mentioned.

Evidence of your authority to represent your company or other organization

If you are representing a company or other organisation, in addition to proof of your individual identity and residence and proof of the organisation's incorporation/existence (see above) I will also need to see evidence of your authority to represent it (e.g. minutes of a directors' meeting or a power of attorney) and its capacity (normally by reference to its Memorandum and Articles of Association or equivalent documents).

Please note that I will need to retain copies of the documents for our files, which are held securely and are accessible only by me.

Summary of what you will need to bring

	You are an individual, only representing yourself	You are representing a company or organisation
Confirmation of your identity and proof of residence
Proof that you have authority to represent company/organisation and evidence of its current existence

Legalisation

What is legalisation?

In addition to having your document notarised, many foreign countries will also require completion of some further formalities, i.e. obtaining an Apostille or consular legalisation, before the document will be accepted for use in the relevant country. I will inform you if it will be necessary or advisable to complete either of these formalities.

Apostille

Some countries will require that the document be 'apostilled'. This involves the United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) providing an official confirmation that the person who has acted as your notary is, in fact, a notary practising with the proper authority in England and Wales. The document must be presented to the FCO with the set fee, after which it will attach an Apostille certificate to the document.

You can obtain this yourself but if you wish, I can normally arrange for this to be done in a matter of hours. There will be an additional cost for this.

Consular legalisation

Some countries require a notarised document, intended to be used in that country, to be presented to their Consulate or Embassy in London, so that the identity and signature of your notary may be checked against its records after which its stamp of approval will be attached to the document. This procedure ensures that the validity of the document will be recognised when it is presented for use in that country.

Where consular legalisation is required, I can arrange for it to be done on your behalf. Precise requirements as to time scales, fees and formalities will depend on the country concerned and I will provide you with advice on those matters.

Links

More information about English notaries:

www.thenotariessociety.org.uk

www.facultyoffice.org.uk/Notaries1.html