We will give you an estimate or a fixed price for the work when you book your appointment with us.
The fees for notarial services are calculated on a time spent basis, based on the hourly rate of £400 plus VAT. Our minimum charge is £200 plus VAT at 20%.
There may be disbursements you need to pay such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office legalisation fees, foreign embassy legalisation fees, legalisation agent fees or courier or postal charges for sending notarised documents to the agent or abroad. These costs are separate to our fee. Further information in relation to disbursements is set out below.
Our hourly rates are reviewed from time to time and we will notify you of any changes to these. The costs information provided here is a guide and not a binding quote. Before commencing work on your matter, we may request a payment on account to cover our fees.
Disbursements are charges you will need to incur in connection with notary services. The type of disbursement you will be liable for and the amount you will need to pay depends on the nature of your case. Common disbursements include:
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office legalisation fees £40 per document
- Foreign embassy legalisation fees. This varies depending on the country and we will confirm this if required
- Legalisation agent fees £20 plus VAT per document
- Courier or postal charges for sending notarised documents to the agent or abroad From £7.75 plus VAT for sending to the Legalisation agent. We will confirm this and any other courier or postal cost when we confirm our fee
- Translation Fees if required we will obtain a quote for this before obtaining a translation
- HEDD fee £14 plus VAT
- Travel 45 pence per mile
At the start of your matter, we will confirm what the likely disbursements are in relation to your matter.
Depending on the nature of the disbursement, VAT may be charged on the fee by the third party.
Notaries work for businesses as well as for private individuals. The most common notarial services available are:
- Preparing and witnessing powers of attorney for use overseas
- Dealing with execution of documents for the purchase or sale of land and property abroad
- Providing documents to deal with the administration of the estate of people who are abroad, or own property abroad
- Authenticating personal documents and information for immigration or emigration purposes, or to apply to marry or to work abroad
- Authenticating company and business documents for use abroad
A notary public is required to check:
- The identity of the signatory;
- The signature of the individual involved; and
- That the document is signed in accordance with English law and with the legal requirements of the country for which the document is required
- A client is required to declare and prove their identity before the notary by producing “proper documents”; generally a current valid passport and something to confirm their address like a council tax bill or utility bill.
If the document is already prepared, the Notary will check it is in the correct form or make an necessary amendments prior to meeting you. The Notary should need to see you for about 30 minutes. If the Notary has to draw up the document or amend a draft, more time will be required and this is usually carried out prior to the meeting. Providing drafts of all relevant documents prior to the meeting will help speed up the process. Legalisation of a document will take about 1 to 2 weeks depending on whether foreign embassy legalisation is required.
Our notaries are regulated by the Master of the Faculties through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Faculty Office, 1 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London, SW1P 3JT. Telephone 020 7222 5381 Email: faculty.office@1Thesanctuary.com Web: www.facultyoffice.org.uk
Use of technology, devices, and artificial intelligence
To the extent that our Notary uses any automated decision-making technology, including artificial intelligence, in the course of the services, the Notary does not rely upon the same without human intervention.
Before using any new technology including artificial intelligence, the Notary will carry out an appropriate risk assessment to ensure that your rights are not adversely affected by the same.
You have the right to make a complaint under Part III of the Notaries (Conduct and Discipline) Rules 2015. When you instruct a notary you will receive a Client Care letter setting out an estimate of costs, the services to be provided and details of how to make a complaint should you not be satisfied with the services we have provided.
You may wish to discuss any feedback or concerns with the notary dealing with your matter informally first, as they may be able to resolve your concerns, without the need for a formal complaint.
However, if the complaint cannot be resolved informally, or if you wish to raise a formal complaint regarding the handling of your matter, then please contact our Complaints Team to deal with your concerns as a formal complaint under this policy.
To enable us to investigate your concerns, and to provide you with a thorough response, we need to have a good understanding of the issues. We would therefore welcome hearing from you by email to our Complaints Team at complaints@knightsplc.com, with a brief explanation of:
- Why you feel dissatisfied with the service you have received;
- How you would prefer to be contacted about your complaint going forward;
- If there is anything in particular that you would like us to do to resolve your complaint.
Alternatively, if you prefer, you may write to us at Complaints Team, Knights, The Brampton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, or telephone us on 0345 646 0704 and ask to speak to a member of the Complaints Team to discuss your concerns. In the event that our Complaints Team are engaged, your call will be returned within one business day.
If we are unable to resolve the matter then you may complain to the Notaries Society of which all our Notaries are members, and they will deal with your complaint under the Approved Complaints Procedure which is free to use and is designed to provide a quick resolution to any dispute.
In either case, complaints may also be made to the Legal Ombudsman after a period of eight weeks from the date the complaint was first made.
Complaints to the Notaries Society should be addressed to Elaine Standish, Secretary of The Notaries Society, PO Box 876, Chichester, PO19 9ZH. Email: secretary@thenotariessociety.org.uk
Complaints to The Faculty Office should be addressed to The Registrar, The Faculty Office, 1 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London, SW1P 3JT. Telephone 020 7222 5381 Email: faculty.office@1Thesanctuary.com
If you have any difficulty making a complaint in writing, please do not hesitate to call the Notaries Society/the Faculty Office for assistance.
Finally, even if you have your complaint considered under the Notaries Society Approved Complaints Procedure, you may at the end of that procedure, or after a period of eight weeks from the date you first notified the Notary that you were dissatisfied, make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, if you are not happy with the result:
You can contact the Legal Ombudsman, or find further information about who can use their service and when, via the details set out below.
The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission, about which you are concerned, or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.
Address:
Legal Ombudsman Service, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ.
Tel: 0300 555 0333
Minicom: 0333 555 1777
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Knights carries professional indemnity insurance covering claims up to £3,000,000.
The fee estimates set out below are an indication of the likely costs for us.
Certified Copy of a Document which does not require further investigation, such as a passport: £200 plus VAT.
Personal Power of Attorney to Purchase a Property Abroad: £300 plus VAT.
Company Power of Attorney or Other Company Document: £400 plus VAT.