Why would I need a Notary?
It’s a good question which is probably best answered by another question - what is a Notary?
Notary work is the oldest branch of the legal profession in England and Wales. A Notary is a lawyer (usually also a Solicitor) who has taken additional qualifications which are recognised around the world (whereas a Solicitor or Barrister means nothing in other countries).
If legal or other commercial documents need to be signed in this country and sent abroad, they must usually be signed by a Notary. Sometimes countries require additional formalities. The document may require stamping by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (known as an Apostille for which they charge a fee) or a foreign Embassy (again they charge a fee for this, which can be quite substantial).
You may need a Notary to handle foreign documents for other reasons such as marrying abroad, buying or selling property abroad or appointing someone overseas to act on your behalf by Power of Attorney.
If you’re buying and selling property or a business abroad, you could be appointing an overseas agent to act on your behalf. You may want someone to sign documents to protect a patent. All of these are likely to need a Notary.
The general rule of thumb is: if a document is to be used abroad and needs to be signed it is likely to require a Notary.
For most people, dealing with a Notary is a rare occurrence and the process can seem unusual. To me, it’s a process I deal with every day.
I help local businesses and individuals deal with important foreign documents with the minimum of fuss, often at very short notice, either at their home or business premises or at our offices in Halifax, Huddersfield and Brighouse.