Private International Law - Notarial Services
The Notarial services we provide include:
- authentication and certification of documents for use overseas
- arrange Foreign and Commonwealth Office legalisation
- obtain further certification from the relevant consulate
- arrange to send document to its ultimate destination
- drafting and witnessing powers of attorney
- drafting and administering Declarations, Affidavits & Oaths
- authenticating company and business documents
- confirmation of identity of directors and corporate clients
ID check and formalities
The law obliges our Notaries to see evidence of the identity and address of every person whose signature we notarise. Please bring your current passport with you, or both parts of your UK driver's licence, with a recent bank statement or utility bill in your name, showing your residential address. We will make and keep photocopies of them. We are happy to accept photocopies that you have already made, provided that you still bring the originals so that we can compare them.
If you are signing a document on behalf of a company, we will need to see evidence of your authority to do so, e.g. a board resolution. Directors of the company often have automatic authority by virtue of their office, but "managers" don't.
Please note that directors in their personal capacity cannot execute a power of attorney on behalf of their company and cannot delegate their own powers as directors. All corporate powers of attorney must be executed by the company itself in accordance with its Articles of Association (or similar constitution for foreign companies).
We may have to carry out a search at the relevant Companies Registry to establish the company's status and your authority. A separate charge will be made for this.