Notaries are specialist lawyers regulated by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Faculty Office. They often provide services for individuals, such as authenticating documents or commercial organisations involved in international trade.
Many are solicitors, but they do not have to be.
What services does a notary provide?
The most common services a notary is called on to provide include preparing powers of attorney that are to be used abroad and providing authenticity for them, dealing with overseas land purchases or sales, and certifying foreign wills and handling documents required for their execution. They will also be called upon to certify personal documents related to immigration and emigration, overseas marriages, and work applications.
Companies will often approach a notary to authenticate documents such as international contracts and confirm the status of the organisation and its list of directors. If you are looking for notary services London, a quick search will produce a number of experts, such as Bridge Law Solicitors.
Although notaries can do other legal work, they may not take on any contentious matter, provide immigration advice, or represent clients in court. Given that almost 50% of notaries are also solicitors, they carry out other legal work. Other notaries specialise in property work, probate, and estate administration.
What documents will a notary provide?
Although notaries are normally asked to deal with hard copies of documents and certify them, more and more are now providing electronic documents. These are not accepted in all countries, but the list of countries in which they are legal is growing.
Documents will often need to be signed by the client in front of the notary, so the client will have to visit the office. There are other documents that will not require the client’s presence, such as when a university degree certificate is notarised after verification.
Some countries now accept documents that have been signed via a video link, known as online notarisation. If you want to avail yourself of this facility, it is important to check with your notary that the document will be acceptable in another jurisdiction.