A notary is a specialist type of lawyer and is appointed and regulated by the Master of the Faculties through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury – see www.facultyoffice.org.uk

A notary verifies, authenticates and records deeds, documents and facts for cross-border transactions.

A notary’s qualifications and status are recognised worldwide by means of the notary’s signature and seal.

After a document has been certified by a notary, the notary’s authority to act as such also often needs to be authenticated. This process is known as legalisation.

An apostille from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirms the validity of the notary’s signature and seal.  In addition, some countries require further legalisation by their own consulate or embassy in England.

It is part of my duties as a notary to ensure that both you and I fully understand the document and its effect. Therefore, in some cases it is necessary to arrange a translation of the document. Sometimes this can be arranged by your foreign advisers abroad, and sometimes an independent translation must be obtained. I can arrange this for you, if required.

I can be contacted via email, mobile or landline telephone number. If I am not able to answer your telephone call immediately myself, please feel free to leave a voicemail or to email me, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you are also able to email me a copy of the documentation, that will enable me to assess more quickly the service you require and my fee.

I am available during usual office hours – Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 5.00pm.  However, if the matter is urgent, subject to prior arrangement, I am able to see you out of normal office hours and/or at your home or office.

I maintain professional indemnity insurance in accordance with the requirements of the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury which requires insurance cover up to a minimum of £1,000,000.

I aim to offer you an efficient and high-quality service and I will endeavour to deal with your affairs in a business like and competent manner. I am committed to demonstrating my commitment to these standards in all of my dealings with you.

Should you be dissatisfied with my service in any way, I would hope that in the first instance you would contact me to discuss the matter informally. If we cannot resolve the issue informally, I do have a complaints procedure, details of which can be read here.