Notaries Public

• We have two notaries public, Tim Howarth and Laura Srodon, who specialise in witnessing and validating documents for use abroad.

What are Notaries?

We are an independent (and the oldest) branch of the legal profession, with origins in Roman times. We are appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and are regulated by the Court of Faculties. There are only about 900 practising notaries in this country. Most of us are also solicitors, but our work as notaries is separate and is not controlled by the rules affecting solicitors.

Notarising documents

If a document signed in this country is to be used overseas, it usually needs to be validated by a notary public. This means that the notary must sign it, and add his or her unique seal. In most countries a signature of a solicitor is not sufficient. Often the document also has to be validated by the Foreign Office (by a form called an "apostille") and/or by a foreign consulate, and our seals and signatures are registered with them. We will arrange for this to be done if required.

Our fees

Like most notaries, we charge fees based mainly on the amount of time that is needed to do the work. This work is not only the time spent in meeting you, but also in giving any preliminary advice, considering and notarising the documents, dealing with the Foreign Office or consulate, preparing the records that we have to keep, and any travel time.

Our current charge is based on £240 per hour, with a minimum fee of £60. Please note that if we are asked to notarise 2 or more documents, the fee is likely to be £80 or higher. We may charge more if the work has to be done out of normal hours or if it involves a matter of unusual complexity or value.

The fee is normally payable at the time of your visit, and we are happy to accept payment by cash, or cheque with banker's card. Please note that we do not at present accept credit or debit card payments for our notarial work. We do not currently charge VAT. If your documents need to be sent to the Foreign Office or consulate, or there are other special arrangements that need to be made, then this will incur additional charges. We are happy to give an estimate upon request.

Getting ready to see a Notary?

• please telephone, email or call in to make an appointment, so that you can be sure that a notary will be available to see you.
• do bring evidence of your identity such as a current passport or photo driving licence, and proof of your home address such as a utility bill.
• we will need to be satisfied that you understand the documents you sign, particularly if they are not written in English: we may ask to see a translation.
• we may need to see relevant papers or documents that relate to the matter.
• if you are signing a document on behalf of a company or other organisation, we will need to be satisfied that you have authority to do this.

To enquire about our notarial services, click here or
call Freephone 0800 328 4249
or email notaries@davisg.co.uk.

Useful links, click here.

Our team

Notaries: