What Is A Notary Public?

Call 07919 333606 or email jchadd@notarynorwich.co.uk to book an initial consultation.  

What is a Notary

A Notary is a qualified lawyer – (usually also a solicitor) -a member of the third and oldest branch of the legal profession in the United Kingdom. We are appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and subject to regulation by the Court of Faculties.

The rules governing Notaries are very similar to those which govern Solicitors. We must be fully insured and maintain cover for the protection of our clients and those who rely on our notarial acts.

We must keep clients’ money separate and comply with strict rules of practice, conduct and discipline. A Notary Public in England and Wales has many of the same responsibilities as Notaries in European countries where the profession is highly regulated. This is not the case in the USA where the role and responsibility of the Notary differs and is subject to substantially less regulation.

NOT A MERE RUBBER-STAMPING EXERCISE:

The international duty of a Notary involves a very high standard of care. This is principally owed to the transaction itself but also towards you as the client and to anyone who may rely on the document including companies, banks, Governments or officials of other countries. These people are entitled to assume: 

  •  that the Notary will ensure full compliance with the relevant legal requirements for a particular document or transaction (both here and abroad); and 
  • that the Notary has verified the client’s identity, capacity and authority – and their intention to be bound by the transaction. 

Great care is essential at every stage to minimise the risks of errors, omissions, alterations, fraud, forgery, money laundering, the use of false identity, and so on. 

As a Notary, I have to act independently, and my overriding duty is “to the transaction”.