Notarial Services: Nicholas Cook

Notarial Appointment is a separate and distinct element of legal service in England. The role of English Notaries is expanding, with increasing demand for both commercial and individual purpose, due to the European Community, widening international trade generally, and increasing personal mobility.

There may be additional requirements for a company. The Notary will be able to supply the relevant information.

Please enquire for full details of our charges. As indicated in our Terms of Business these charges may be subject to variation.

Notarial Responsibilities

Notarial acts require a high standard of care, as reliance on such acts is made by clients, third parties and foreign governments and officials. The Notary has a responsibility to protect against error, omission, alterations, fraud, and forgery.

Notarial acts are not rubber stamping exercises and the requirements of accuracy and validity cannot be overridden by urgency or expense.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing Notarial responsibility is limited to the Notarial formalities and does not extend to advice on or drafting of documentation or on the matter under consideration.

Proof and Identification

In order to meet the high standard of Notarial acts, the Notary is required to obtain proof (to his discretion and satisfaction), of identity, any represented legal capacity and authority, clients understanding of documentation, interpretation/or translation into or from other languages, effectiveness of documentation, validity, signature and witnessing, observance of required formalities both in England and abroad, and the requirements of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and/or any relevant consular or similar authorities.

In the case of individuals, proof may be required, with production of appropriate certificates where applicable, of birth, baptism, marriage, divorce, deed poll on change of name, or statutory declaration. Identification of individuals will be required.

Individuals should produce a current passport or, in exceptional cases, other proof of similar validity and reliability, which may include identification by third parties known both to the individual and to the Notary.

In the case of companies, details of the proof and information required, depending on the circumstances and service required, should be discussed in advance with the Notary. Notarial attendance at a company board meeting may be required in some cases, which may be arranged at our offices if required.

Company searches may be required in support or proof of certain corporate acts. It is required that these are obtained direct from Companies House by the Notary, at the cost of the client. Time should be allowed to obtain these in advance of any personal attendance.

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office endorsement (and/or the endorsements of the relevant High Commission/Embassy/Consulate of the country in which it is proposed to use the document the subject of a Notarial act), is required in some cases for use abroad, as an additional authentication to notarised documents. This is usually obtained by the Notary at the expense of the client and is usually applied for by post. In urgent cases clients may have to attend in person or incur despatch/courier charges.

Preparation of documentation for Notarial action is formal and prior preparation of documents or draft documents may be required.

Early discussion of outline requirements with the Notary is advised.

Time, expense, and error, may be saved if clients, or their advisors, provide, in advance of any personal consultation, the originals or exact and complete photocopies of:-

all documents to be notarised
covering correspondence or forms of instructions from the country to which the documentation is to be provided that relate to that act
identification evidence (as referred to above)
Copies of documents produced ancillary to or in support of Notarial acts may be required for retention, as will copies or original duplicates of Notarial acts, to form part of the required Notarial register/record.

Documents to be notarised should not be bound, as the Notary may have to re-bind them with a covering Notarial Certificate.

Translations may be required of documents before and/or after or as part of a Notarial act. The Notary can usually arrange or advise on this aspect if required.

An initial appointment and an appointment to finalise the Notarial act may be required, particularly if documentation has to be prepared in formal style.

Personal attendance at our office will usually be required to ensure all necessary secretarial facilities are available. However, in exceptional cases, attendance arrangements out of the office can be made.

Travelling and travelling time will incur additional expense to the client.

The Notarial practice is located at the offices of Wollastons Solicitors.

Wollastons Solicitors

Nicholas Cook is a consultant in the separate practice of Wollastons (LLP).

The Notarial practice and Wollastons are independent of each other.

Premises, reception staff and other staff are shared with Wollastons Solicitors . In accordance with Notarial Practice guidelines, any client referred by the Notary to that Solicitors practice benefits only from the practice rules applicable to that Solicitors practice and will be subject to Wollastons Solicitors Terms of Business. These are available on demand.

Data Protection Act

Details of clients of the practice and matter references will be stored on computer for archive and retrieval purposes and may be used to mail client communications from either the Notarial Practice or Wollastons Solicitors.