John Gibson - Notary Public

What does a Notary Public do?

A Notary Public is a specialist lawyer who can witness or certify documents for use in foreign countries. By virtue of the Notaries signature and official seal, authorities in other countries will be assured that the relevant checks have been carried out.

As an example, when buying a property abroad you may need to give your overseas lawyer power to deal with the purchase. A Notary Public can watch you sign a Power of Attorney and then notarise this document to ensure that it is accepted in the country involved.

Dallas Legal has special relationships with highly experienced Notary Publics and is able to negotiate competitive discount quotes on your behalf. Our chief Notary Public is John Gibson.

What is Apostille or Legalisation?

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.

Identification required when seeing a Notary Public

To comply with money laundering regulations a Notary must confirm your identity. When attending an appointment with a Notary each person signing the document must provide at least one of the following:

• Driving licence with photo ID card

• A valid passport

• National identity card (only for EEA state members)

• Armed forces pass (with photo and signature)

• Firearms licence (with photo and signature)

• Any other official government issue ID card (with photo and signature)

• Residence permit (where relevant)

You must also provide proof of your address by one of the following:

• Recent bank statement or letter from bank

• Recent utility bill or council tax bill (not a mobile phone bill)

• Tenancy agreement or Housing Association rent card for your current address

• Inland Revenue tax demand or self assessment statement

If you are acting on behalf of a Corporation you must provide evidence of the due incorporation of the company. This can be one of the following documents:

• Certificate of incorporation

• Extract from the company register

• Latest report and audited accounts

• Up to date certified copy of partnership agreement

Notarisation of Qualifications

Large numbers of certificates are often required to be notarised when applying for jobs or any positions abroad. We can have these notarised quickly and efficiently upon the production of the originals. If originals are not available please do call us to see if there is an alternative.

How much does it cost for documents notarising?

The cost will depend on the number of documents to be notarised. To obtain a quote please contact us with the following information:

• What type of document do you need notarising?

• How many different documents do you need notarising?

• How many copies of each notarised document do you require?

• Are the documents being notarised for an individual or company?

• Which country are the documents intended for?

• Whether you require an Apostille (if known)?