Notary Public Terms of Business

Identification

You will need to produce by way of identification the original of your current passport or a current photo card driving licence or national identity card. We may also require proof of address in the form of a utility bill, council tax bill, credit card or bank statement showing your current address which should not be more than 3 months old form the date of our meeting.

You should also bring any other ID which may be referred to in the papers required to be notarised such as a foreign Identity Card.

Advice on the document

We do not offer advice on the contents of the document you require notarising, however, we will provide advice on the formalities of signature of the document. You must understand what you are signing.

Translations of Documents

If the document is written in a language you do not understand, we may require you to obtain an official translation. This translation must be by an accredited translator who will mark the document accordingly.

Companies, partnerships or other entities

If a document is to be signed on behalf of a company, a partnership, a charity, club or other incorporated body, we will need to be able to establish the identity of that body, and authority for the individual to sign on behalf of that entity. This may include but is not limited to:

• A written resolution
• A board minute
• A letter of authority or power of attorney
• The partnership deed

Fees and expenses

There is a minimum of £100 per document. We do not charge VAT on fees.

If the matter is more complicated or has multiple documents, then a fee will be negotiated directly with you. Such fee may include preparatory time and drafting, telephone calls and other sundry expenses, including record keeping.

Disbursements

All matters can attract additional fees such as Apostille fees, agents fees, postage costs, courier fees, travelling expenses, translator or interpreter fees, etc. Where such fees are likely to be incurred we will provide you with appropriate information and estimates with regard to the same.

Payment

Payment can be made by bank transfer, or in cash (by arrangement).

Notarial records and data protection

We are required to keep a formal record of all work undertaken as well as copies of the ID information we obtain. Personal data obtained is held securely and is not capable of being accessed externally. Such data collected as part of our notarial practice is used purely for meeting our responsibilities as Notaries Public.

Insurance

We maintain professional indemnity insurance at a level of at least £1,000,000 per claim.

Termination

We reserve the right to terminate our engagement if we have good reason to do so, for example, if you do not pay a bill or comply with any request for documentation or expenses or you fail to cooperate fully.

Regulation

The notarial practice is regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Faculty Office
1, The Sanctuary
Westminster
London SW1P 3JT
Tel : 020 7222 5381
Email: Faculty.office@1thesanctuary.com
Website: www.facultyoffice.org.uk

Use of Technology, Devices and Artificial Intelligence

1. To the extent that we use any automated decision-making technology, including artificial intelligence, in the course of our services, we do not rely upon the same without human intervention.
2. Before using any new technology including artificial intelligence, we carry out an appropriate risk assessment to ensure that your rights are not adversely affected by the same.

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied about the service you have received, please contact us to discuss matters in the first instance and we will look to resolve any issues to your satisfaction.

If we are unable to resolve the matter, you may then complain to the Notaries Society of which we are members, who have a Complaints Procedure which is approved by the Faculty Office. The procedure is free to use and is designed to provide a quick resolution to any dispute.

In that case, please write (but do not enclose any original documents) with full details of your complaint to:

The Secretary of the Notaries Society
PO Box 1023
Ipswich IP1 9XB
Email: secretary@thenotariessociety.org.uk
Tel: 01908 803527

If you have any difficulty in making a complaint in writing please do not hesitate to call the Notaries Society for assistance.

Finally, even if you have your complaint considered under the Notaries Society Approved Complaints Procedure, you may at the end of that procedure, or after a period of 8 weeks from the date you first indicated you were dissatisfied, make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, if you are not happy with the result:

Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough  SL1 0EH
Tel: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

If you decide to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, you must refer your matter to the Legal Ombudsman within one year from the act/omission or within one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.