A Public Notary – legally recognised around the world

Nov. 19, 2008 - PRLog -- Jackie Watts, a solicitor at Tallents Solicitors, is also a Public Notary and as such becomes involved in much more than everyday common law. As the only Public Notary in the area she provides valuable services to clients in an area that stretches from Lincoln to Nottingham
Jackie explains,
“A Notary is an officer of the law who holds an internationally recognised public office. The duty and function of a Notary is to prepare, attest, authenticate, verify and certify deeds and other documents, for use anywhere in the world. Their signature and official seal renders the documents acceptable, as proof of the matter attested by them, to the judicial or other public authorities in the country where they are to be used.”
Although most Notaries are solicitors, a Notary does not perform the same function as a solicitor.  A solicitor acts for his client in respect of a particular transaction and anything he does for his client is confidential. A Notary is more akin to a Registrar and his duty is to record the details of whatever transaction is at hand. Those details must then be available to anyone who has a proper interest in the transaction and wishes to verify what has occurred.
Jackie continues,
“Clients often require notarial services when dealing with overseas matters. A Notary mainly acts as an impartial and legally trained witness to authenticate and certify the execution of documents required or intended for use outside the UK.”

There are no circumstances under English law where the intervention of a Notary is required, although Notaries are also authorised to carry out conveyancing and probate work and are commissioners for oaths. However, if there is any foreign element involved the intervention of a Notary is likely to be required. Examples might be, to witness the signature of a Power of Attorney authorising a lawyer in a foreign jurisdiction to purchase property, verifying the validity of qualifications gained in the UK for use abroad, witnessing letters granting permission for parents to allow their children to travel abroad with other parties, verifying the identity of individuals, companies etc. and certifying that legal documents have been correctly executed in accordance with UK law (commonly required when companies set up offices abroad or wish to open Bank accounts in other jurisdictions).

Like most Notaries, Jackie first qualified as a solicitor and then undertook a further two year post graduate diploma to train as a Notary, based at the University of Cambridge. Once she passed the diploma, Jackie then had to provide evidence that she was a suitable person to be admitted as a Notary before she was admitted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, as a Notary is actually an official of the ecclesiastical court.

Jackie enjoys the variety of additional work that being a Public Notary brings to her,

“I do quite a mixture of work for individuals and for companies as a Notary. I witness a lot of Powers of Attorney for people who are buying property abroad and I have been asked to verify qualifications for quite a few people who are emigrating. As far as companies are concerned, the work I do is mostly verifying company information to enable them to set up offices abroad.  As I said above, there is also increasing caution over people travelling abroad with other people's children on holiday and I have been asked to do quite a few certificates to evidence the parents' consent.  Also, when people get married abroad they often need a Notary to verify their identity and marital status before they can go ahead.”

It is important that a Notary is contacted as early on as possible as requirements vary from country to country and further authentication from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or applicable Consulate may be necessary, so if you think you may need a Public Notary, contact Jackie at Tallents in Southwell on 01636 813411 as soon as you can.

For more information, contact Tallents on 01636 813411


Tallents Solicitors, 2 Westgate, Newark
Tel: 01636 813411

www.tallents.co.uk

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ABOUT TALLENTS

Established in 1774 and with offices in Newark, Mansfield and Southwell, Tallents Solicitors services the legal needs of private individuals, company and commercial clients and farmers in North Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

We still offer a personal service to our clients and our size and structure ensures that partners are never remote from our clients. We provide a full range of legal services and our expertise covers all areas of law including:

Agricultural law, criminal law, commercial and domestic property transactions, inheritance tax planning, trust and estate administration, wills and probate, commercial and general litigation, employment law, company and commercial law, intellectual property, matrimonial and family law, personal injury claims and children issues.