Notary Public York

notary public York

Welcome to Notary Public York

Philip John Robinson is a Solicitor and Notary Public.

Appointments for Notarial business are offered at our offices in York and Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire.
Please contact me to arrange an appointment.

Click on a link below for more information.

What is a Notary Public?

A Notary, or Notary Public, can authenticate or legalise any document. A Notary can also provide legalisation or an apostille, if needed. You will normally require the services of a Notary Public when you have documents which are needed to be used abroad. The Notaries signature and seal will verify to the authorities in that country that the relevant checks have been carried out.

The need for a notary public is dictated by the requirements of the country where the document is to be used. For example, if you wish to buy a property abroad, it is often necessary to give your overseas lawyer power to deal with the purchase. This can be done by means of a power of attorney, which is signed by you in front of a notary. The notary public will confirm your name and identity and sign the document and seal it with their official seal.

Back to top of Notary Public York

Notary Services

You may need to see a Notary to:

Back to top of Notary Public York

Foreign Languages

Documents presented to a notary may be in a foreign language. The notary must ensure that both they and the client understand the meaning and effect of the document. Notaries do not usually give advice about the meaning or effect of a document or transaction. It is important that the client shows the notary any correspondence or advice that he has been given by others.

A Notary Public may also be known as a Notario Publico, Notaio, Notario, Notar or a Notaire.

Back to top of Notary Public York

What is Legalisation or Apostille?

A notarised document may often need to be further authenticated by having the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirm the validity of the notary's signature and seal. The requirement for this will depend on the foreign country involved. This is done by legalisation by the use of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's official certificate attached to the document, known as an apostille. These are internationally recognised due to the Hague Convention.

Back to top of Notary Public York

What identification does a Notary Public require?

Following the implementation of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, notaries are now obliged to keep sufficient evidence on their files of the identity and the address of all their clients before they undertake any work.

Each person whose signature they are to certify must provide one of the following original identification documents at the time of the appointment.

In addition, they require proof of residence, which can be one of the following original documents:

When a notary public is acting for a corporate client, evidence of the due incorporation of the company or entity is required. This can be one of the following documents:

In addition to the above, each individual signatory will need to produce one of the identification documents mentioned above.

Back to top of Notary Public York

What does it cost?

An early indication of the costs can usually be given in advance but so that we can establish the charges please tell us the following:

Please visit the contact us page to obtain a quotation.

For guidance a Notary appointment will cost £125.00 plus VAT for a 45 minute meeting. Any time spent beyond that initial meeting is charged at £150.00 plus VAT per hour but will be formally agreed in advance with the client once their specific requirements have been ascertained.

Back to top of Notary Public York

How long will it take?

A typical notarial meeting will take between 30 and 45 minutes depending upon the documents being prepared. It will assist the Notary if copies of the documents can be provided for review prior to the meeting either by delivery to our office in York or by e-mail.

Should the documents require further legalisation and need to be sent away, this can take between four days and three weeks depending upon the requirements of the jurisdiction to which the documents are being sent. For further guidance please contact the notary directly and he will be happy to provide guidance of anticipated timeframes and specific requirements associated with individual countries.

Back to top of Notary Public York

Independence and Rules

A notary is an independent officer and must not do anything to compromise this. They should not act in matters where they have a personal interest, and are subject to professional rules and standards to ensure the protection of their clients. They are also bound to follow the rules on the prevention of money laundering. Notaries must be insured against negligence and dishonesty.

The standard level of indemnity provided for notarial work is £3 million pounds. Should this not be sufficient for your requirements or should you wish to see a copy of this insurance please contact the notary directly or ask for a copy at the meeting.

Notaries are regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury whose address is :-

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

If you are dissatisfied about any aspect of the service you have received please do not hesitate to contact the notary.

If the notary is unable to resolve the matter, you may then complain to the Notaries Society 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
Old Church Chambers
23 Sandhill Road
St James
Northampton
NN5 5LH

Telephone : 01604 758 908
Email : secretary@thenotariessociety.org.uk

Back to top of Notary Public York

Public Records kept by a Notary

A notary will keep a full set of the originals or copies of all the official documents that they make and this serves as a permanent public record. They must make these available to all those who have a proper right to see them including their client and any other parties involved in such documents. They also refer to the record to make copies when needed.

Back to top of Notary Public York