Thirsk Winton provides a notary public and apostille service in London and Essex for individuals and companies. Two of our partners, Jason Winton and Stephen Thirsk, are notaries public as well as solicitors.
Who are notaries?
- The smallest and oldest branch of the legal profession in England and Wales
- Highly qualified lawyers, authorised to carry out reserved legal activities such as conveyancing and probate
- The only legal profession with the right to offer notarial services
What distinguishes notaries from other lawyers?
- They are public officers, with an overriding duty to the transaction and to the receiving jurisdiction rather than solely to the client
- Their signature and seal are recognised throughout the world as adding authenticity to legal documents
Who acts as a notary in England and Wales?
The majority of notaries in England and Wales are also qualified solicitors. They tend to practise as solicitors most of the time, acting as a notary when notarial services are required. Other notaries practise full time, including the Scrivener Notaries of central London.
How do notaries qualify?
- Prior legal qualification, usually as a solicitor or barrister
- A two-year part-time postgraduate diploma in notarial practice, covering Roman law, private international law and notarial practice
- A petition to the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the profession’s regulator, for a Faculty to be granted
- A practising certificate, renewed annually
When might I need a notary?
- Buying a property in Spain or elsewhere abroad, and needing a power of attorney notarised
- Opening a bank account overseas
- An international adoption
- Incorporating a company or opening a branch abroad
- Certifying qualifications, passports or company documents for a foreign authority or employer
These are just a few examples. The range of international transactions in which a notary may be required is very wide.
What will the notary do?
- Identify the person appearing before them, using original photographic identification and proof of address
- Confirm their capacity and, for a company, their authority to sign
- Verify that they understand the document and intend to be bound by it
The last requirement means both the person signing and the notary must understand the document. It must therefore be in English, or accompanied by a translation, or in a language in which both the signatory and the notary are fluent. Please see documents for notarisation for what to bring, and legalisation for the further steps some countries require.
How the process works and how long it takes
- Enquiry and estimate. Send us the document, or a draft, and tell us which country it is for. We confirm what is needed and give you a fee estimate, normally the same or next working day.
- Appointment. You attend one of our offices with your identification and, for companies, evidence of your authority. Most straightforward documents are notarised at the appointment itself, which usually takes 20 to 40 minutes.
- Legalisation, if required. Where the receiving country needs an apostille we arrange it through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, typically within two to five working days. Consular legalisation, where required, generally adds one to three weeks depending on the embassy.
- Return of documents. We return the completed documents to you by hand, tracked post or courier, or send them directly to the recipient abroad if you prefer.
Regulatory information for our notarial services
- Our notaries, Jason Winton and Stephen Thirsk, are regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
- The basis on which we calculate notarial fees is set out on our notarial fees page.
- Our notarial work is covered by the firm’s professional indemnity insurance, which has a limit of indemnity of £3,000,000 per claim.
- Our notaries are covered by a formal complaints procedure. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received, please see how to complain about notarial work.