Notary Public in Reading
If you have dealings outside of the UK, you may require documents to be authenticated by a notary in order to be accepted by public and legal authorities in another country. Notarisation is accepted as a safeguard under international law.
Our two qualified and highly experienced notaries, Philip D'Arcy and David Few, who are also solicitors at Blandy & Blandy, provide a comprehensive range of notarial and legalisation services to individuals and businesses and organisations of any size.
Offering unrivalled coverage in Reading and the surrounding area, we can provide you with a convenient and cost-effective service and are able to assist with urgent matters at very short notice.
Do I need a Notary Public?
Generally speaking, if you have been asked to have a document certified, notarised, verified or similar, for use overseas, you will require the services of a notary public rather than a solicitor. If you are unsure, please contact us and we will be happy to advise and arrange an appointment if needed.
What is does a Notary Public do?
Notaries can examine and authenticate a wide range of documents, witnessing or obtaining certified copies of these. The notaries’ role is to check for fraud, that you understand the document(s) you are signing and that you are happy to do so. A notarised document will bear the notary’s signature and official seal of office.
These documents include all types of company documents, such as certificates of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association, annual returns, board minutes and resolutions and share certificates. We also notarise powers of attorney, statutory declarations, affidavits, witness statements, trademark and patent applications and registrations, letters and many other types of documents.
Legalisation services
Legalisation is the process by which the signature and seal of the Notary are authenticated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and in some cases the relevant Foreign Embassy. Some countries require this. In many cases, a certificate from the FCO called an apostille will suffice.
We provide a comprehensive legalisation service for our clients where required. These can be dealt with quickly using our London agent’s expedited service in cases of urgency.
Making an appointment
Please make an appointment by submitting an online enquiry and we will respond as quickly as possible.
Please see further information on COVID-19 and making a notarial appointment and our frequently asked questions (FAQ) before doing so and note that all appointments will take place at our offices at 33 Blagrave Street in Reading, unless we have arranged to visit a business's premises.
We will normally ask you to complete a short enquiry form and to also forward copies of any documents or communications with lawyers and/or bodies overseas in advance of this appointment. If the document is in any language other than English, we will usually require a translation. This is because the notary has to understand the document so as to be satisfied that you understand what it is that you are signing. The person who is signing the documents in question must attend the meeting in person and sign in the presence of the Notary. Please do not sign documents beforehand.
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