Requirements

What is required from you when you meet us?

It is advisable for you to send us a copy of the document requiring  authentication, in advance of your meeting, to ensure we a fully aware of what is required; some documents require a number of witnesses or for the Notary Public to provide a certificate. Viewing the documents in advance also allows us to provide a more accurate fee estimate.

Identification Documents

All Clients

Ideally, in advance of our meeting, and certainly at our meeting, we will need you to produce by way of formal identification the original of (in preferred order):

Your current passport (or, if not available);
A current new driving licence (with photo) or national identity card.

If neither of the above are available, you will ned to produce at least two of the following:

A current government or police issue certificate bearing a photo or other formal means of identification;
A utility bill, credit card or bank statement showing your current address which should not be more than 3 months old or council tax bill.

You must also bring any other means of ID which may be referred to in the papers sent to you, as being required, such as a foreign Identity Card. We may also ask to see further evidence of identity such as a marriage certificate and will advise you of this if necessary.

Proof of Names

In a case where the name on the document is different from the name you are currently using, or there has been a variation in the form of spelling of the name over the years, please provide me as appropriate with Certificates of Birth, Marriage or Divorce Decree or Change of Name Deed showing all the different names that you use. If there has been a change of name, then I will need to see a copy of the Deed Poll or Statutory Declaration which dealt with it.

Corporate Clients

If a document is to be signed by you on behalf of a company, a partnership, a charity, club or other incorporated body, there are further requirements on which we may have to insist. Please be prepared for these and contact us if you have any questions in advance of our appointment.

Typically we will need to see:

Evidence of identity of the authorised signatory.
A Letter of Authority, Minute, Resolution or Power of Attorney, authorising you to sign the document.

Additionally, companies: We are likely to need to carry out company searches.

Additionally, partnerships, clubs, etc: We are likely to need to see documents such as a Partnership Agreement; or relevant Trust Deed; or Charter; or Constitution/Rules.

Our Meeting

On most occasions, if we are able to review the document in advance, the meeting should not last much more than 30 minutes. If the document requires amendment, or if we need to draft a document, this timescale is likely to be extended, in which case we will advise you of this.

Once the document has been signed by you (if required) and notarised, you may take it with you at the end of the meeting and once the notarial invoice has been settled. If legalisation/apostille is required, we will retain the document and make arrangements to obtain this before returning the document to you.

Opening Hours

Our opening hours are 09.00 – 17.30 Monday to Friday. Occasionally, we may meet clients outside of these hours, but this will be by appointment only.

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