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Notary Services - Terms of Business
Using a Notary
Usually, you will have been asked to see a notary because you have a document that needs to be used abroad. However, seeing a notary is not merely a rubber-stamping exercise.
The international duty of a Notary involves a high standard of care. This is not only towards the client but also to anyone who may rely on the document and to Governments or officials of other countries.
A Notary must ensure full compliance with the relevant requirements both in the UK and abroad; and the Notary’s register and records must always be accurate. Great care is taken at every stage to minimise the risks of errors, omissions, alterations, fraud, forgery, money laundering, the use of false identity, and so on.
I offer appointments during business hours and occasionally outside of business hours in exceptional circumstances. I am also prepared to make home visits or visit corporate clients at their place of business. If the notarial appointments take place outside of the office, I will usually make an additional charge to cover travelling time and expenses.
Occasionally I may not be able to see you within the timeframe you require, or I may decide that I am not able to act for you in which case I will advise you that that is the case and will provide you with the necessary information to locate an alternative notary.
Signatures
The Notary should normally witness your signature. Please do not sign the document in advance of your appointment with me.
Papers Sent in Advance
This can save time, expense and mistakes. Please supply in good time before your appointment, originals or photocopies of:
- The documents to be notarised;
- Any letter or other form of instruction which you have received about what has to be done with the documents;
- Your evidence of identification. For full details, please click here.
Notarial Charges & Expenses
Notary Service | Cost | Notes |
---|---|---|
Minimum Notary Fee | £200.00 exc VAT | Minimum cost for normal documents. |
Power of Attorney | £20.00 exc VAT (photo page) £40.00 exc VAT (whole passport) | Additional cost to standard fee above. This is per passport. |
Additional Parties to Document | £40.00 exc VAT | Cost per person. |
Additional Documents | £20.00 exc VAT | Additional cost per document, on top of the minimum £200 (exc VAT) Notary fee. If there are more than 3 documents involved, we will need to discuss details with you before confirming additional cost. |
Verification of Document | £20.00 exc VAT | For verification/authentication from provider. |
Companies | £40.00 exc VAT | Minimum cost, as additional work is required when acting for companies to verify authority to act. |
Apostille | £60 inc VAT | Minimum fee for an apostille (sent using Royal Mail Special Delivery). Other, faster options are available that are more expensive. |
Arrange Apostille | £20.00 exc VAT | Fee for arranging apostille. |
Consular Legalisation | TBA | Depends on country of destination and whether private or commercial document. |
Arrange consular legalisation (China & UAE) | £200.00 exc VAT | Additional work is required for arranging this legalisation. |
Arrange consular legalisation (Other) | TBA | This will depend on the country and its requirements. |
Expenses | TBA | Costs of organisations to provide documents or verification of information contained in documents. |
Identification Check AML | £25.00 exc VAT | Cost for verifying identity. We conduct this search for all clients. |
If in doubt, please ask for a quotation.
Please note all the above are exclusive of VAT which will be charged in addition at the prevailing rate unless stated otherwise.
Typical Stages of a Notarial Transaction
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:
- Receiving and reviewing the documents to be notarised together with any instructions you may have received
- 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)
- Checking the identity, capacity and authority of the person who is to sign the document
- 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.
- 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
- Drafting and affixing or endorsing a notarial certificate to the document
- Arranging for the legalisation of the document as appropriate
- Arranging for the storage of copies of all notarised documents in accordance with the requirements of the Notarial Practice Rules 2019
Notarial Records & Data Protection
When I carry out my work for you, I am required to make an entry in a formal register, which is kept by me as a permanent record. I will retain a copy of the notarised documentation with that record.
My practice is a registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Personal data received from clients is held securely and not capable of being accessed externally. Data collected as part of notarial records is used solely for the purposes of meeting our professional legal responsibilities as Notaries Public.
For full details of Curtis Parkinson’s Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy please see these links below:
Curtis Parkinson Privacy Policy
Curtis Parkinson Data Protection Policy
Insurance
In the interests of my clients I maintain professional indemnity insurance at a level of at least £1,000,000.00 per claim.
Termination & Your Right to Cancel
You may terminate your instructions to me at any time by giving me reasonable written notice. All fees and disbursements incurred up to the date of termination will be charged.
Consumer Cooling Off Cancellation Period –Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 (“CCR”):
Where the CCR apply (typically where you are an individual consumer and my contract with you was concluded either at or following a meeting with you or by a form of distance communication) you have a cancellation period of 14 days after the date you sign my retainer letter or the date on which you continue to give me instructions, whichever is earlier.
You can cancel your contract within the cancellation period by giving me a clear statement and I will reimburse all payments received from you by the same method that you used, at no cost to you, without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which you inform me of the cancellation.
If you ask us to begin work during the cancellation period, you can still cancel but you must pay me an amount in proportion to the work which I have performed and this proportion will not be reimbursed to you.
Termination by The Notary
I reserve the right to terminate my engagement by you if I have good reason to do so, for example, if you do not pay a bill or comply with my request for a payment on account or you fail to give me the co-operation which I am reasonably entitled to expect.
Complaints
If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can access the full complaints procedure here.
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