Notary Public Edinburgh

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What is a Notary Public?

Notaries Public play an important legal role in Scottish life, for instance where the legal validity of a document requires the swearing of an oath and where certified copies are required.

Only Solicitors in possession of a practising certificate can act as Notaries in Scotland.

The Law Society of Scotland admits Notaries Public in Scotland and is responsible for their registration. They provide Notary Public Guidance and can assist if there is a need to find a Notary in Scotland.

Quill Legal act as Notaries in Edinburgh but also in surrounding towns from Bonnyrigg to Broxburn and from Dalmeny to Danderhall. Because we can work remotely with the aid of video conference we may also be able to assist clients currently further afield or abroad. If you require our notarial services in Edinburgh or elsewhere please contact us to discuss how we may be able to help.


Why might I need a Notary Public?

There are a variety of circumstances when you might need a notarial service and the following are some of them:

  • If you are asked to take an oath or to affirm or to sign an affidavit, you will often have to do so in the presence of a Notary Public
  • Documents that require legal validity in foreign jurisdictions will often have to be executed or certified in the presence of a Notary Public, for example when there is to be a purchase of property abroad
  • Notaries may play an important role in helping those who are not able to read or to sign documents themselves, for instance this might include clients who are blind. When a document is signed by a Notary Public on behalf of another person this is referred to as notarial execution in Scotland
  • A Notary Public may be required to authenticate personal documents for immigration or emigration purposes or when someone is applying to get married or to work overseas
  • Notaries Public may authenticate foreign Wills and provide documents to deal with the administration of the estates of people who are abroad, or own property abroad
  • Permissions for children to travel abroad may be attested by a Notary Public
  • Statutory declarations for instance as to change of name may be signed in the presence of a Notary Public
  • Certain copies of original documents require to be certified as true and this can be attended to by a Notary Public, one example being academic qualifications.

Kay at Quill Legal Notary Public Edinburgh would be happy to assist you with any of these requirements.

Contact us to make an appointment.


What is an Apostille and what is legalisation?

Certain documents for use abroad require the signature and seal of the Notary Public to be legalised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

This means that the signature and seal have to be authenticated and applies to countries which are parties to the Hague Convention on the Legalisation of Foreign Documents. In such cases the Foreign and Commonwealth Office adds a certificate called an Apostille to the documents.

Notaries Public can apply to have their signature and seal authenticated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure that an Apostille is available when required.

Quill Legal Partner Kay Blaikie has had her seal and signature so authenticated.

Some countries require further authentication by the consulate of the receiving jurisdiction. Legalisation requirements are determined only by the country where the document is going, not by the United Kingdom government.

Documents going to countries which are, or have been, part of the British Commonwealth seldom need legalisation nor, currently do documents going to many parts of the United States of America.


Identification required when seeing a Notary Public

Legal documents may require the incorporation of a declaration by the Notary Public that they are satisfied about the identity of the person who requires the documents to be notarised.

Appropriate proof of identity will ensure compliance with the anti-money laundering regulations.

You will have to produce two forms of identification. One must be photographic and the other must establish your current address, cannot be a download from the internet and should be dated within the last two months. Where video conferencing is being used to meet, scans of the two forms of identification should be emailed in advance.


How much does a Notary Public cost?

The services of a Notary Public in Edinburgh cost: the fees of the Notary Public and any outlays such as the dues payable to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for an Apostille or the charge made by HEDD, the United Kingdom’s Higher Education official service for candidate verification and university authentication.

Notarisation services Fees
Standard notarisation £90
Drafting and notarising Affidavit, Declaration, Certificate or other short documents £150
Assistance obtaining Apostille from Foreign and Commonwealth Office £80
Certifying copies of documents as true copies - discounts for multiple copies £40
Initiating verification of degree with Higher Education Degree Datacheck £45

Expenses

The Foreign Office charge for each Apostille             - £30 plus postage

The Higher Education Datacheck charge                     - £12                                                              

 

FAQs

The Notary Public may require a certified translation or may require a qualified translator to be present at any meeting with you. In addition the Notary Public will have to be certain that you understand each other, despite the language difference and that you are clear about what effect the document will have when it has been signed.

In Scotland there is no requirement for a seal to be used by a Notary Public but quite often a seal or stamp will be applied. For foreign documents it is good practice for a Notary Public to append their seal to the signature to render it as formal as possible.

Quill Legal is generally able to offer you a prompt appointment to assess the documentation and to provide the required notarial or certification service. Please call us to make an arrangement to suit you : 0131 564 1044 or email us : kay@quilllegal.co.uk

No, a Notary Public requires to witness your signature and to meet with you to carry out the standard money laundering checks before proceeding to provide the service.

Why choose us as your Notary Public?

Professional, reliable and flexible

Our aim is to impress. We want to ensure that you are confident that we understand your needs, that we know the relevant law, that we will apply it to your situation and that you can rely on us.

Accessible prices

Our fees are indicated on this website. We have a transparent approach to feeing and want you to be clear about the cost of our services. Wherever possible we will offer you a fixed fee after a preliminary discussion.

Support for the local community

We participated in the charity Will writing initiative offered by Will Aid in 2019 and 2020 and were proud to sponsor some of the charitable work carried out by the Salvation Army Gorgie Edinburgh. We are planning to support other charities.

Committed to sustainability

We care for the environment by using very little paper and travelling by public transport and we are looking for other ways to reduce our environmental impact.

Contact us today

We will be happy to answer your questions.

Meet your Solicitor, Kay Blaikie

Get in touch with me when you need reliable legal advice on any aspect of Executries, Wills, Powers of Attorney and Notarial services.

Latest client reviews

Jamie
Jamie
17:31 13 Jun 23
Used Quill Legal for notary services for documents being sent overseas. Kay was very helpful and knowledgable about all steps of the notary service. Will definatly be using this service again in the future
Amber
Amber
07:19 29 May 23
Kay from Quill Legal patiently and efficiently helped me with an affidavit (a process I had never done before) on a really tight schedule. Thank you Kay for your help and making a stressful situation a lot easier!!
Elaine Watt
Elaine Watt
15:26 21 May 23
We hired Kay after being put off by the high fees charged by others for an ordinary estate of a home and money in the bank. Kay was excellent at telling me what she needed, what she would do and keeping me informed. The estate was all done at a very reasonable price.
Kristine V
Kristine V
11:36 04 Jan 23
Have been using Kay’s services for a few years now and wouldn’t go anywhere else. Great and fast service! Another plus is that it is convenient and can be done through video conference! Definitely recommend!
Jack Neil
Jack Neil
21:07 30 Jun 22
I contacted Quill Legal as i needed a statutory declaration signed for renewing my provisional licence.Kay was very professional and the process was very straight forward. Kay was very good at guiding me through the process, as I was new to the service. They were very kind, friendly and understanding.When I went to drop off my documents to the office, the staff were very helpful and welcoming.I would highly recommend Quill Legal should you require notarial services.
Elvira Papaleo
Elvira Papaleo
18:11 03 Dec 21
I contacted Kay for the notarisation of some documents and I would highly recommend her! She has been very helpful, explaining the whole process clearly and offered a very professional and fast service.
Anna Vojáčková
Anna Vojáčková
17:59 22 Nov 21
I had a great experience with Kay from Quill Legal. I appreciate how professional she is. Very quick service. Thank you!
Sarah Brockett
Sarah Brockett
17:47 10 Nov 21
Kay Blaikie responded incredibly quickly, explained everything clearly to me and made the whole process very easy. Highly recommend
Daniel Benfield
Daniel Benfield
21:46 30 Jun 21
Kay Blaikie helped me certify some documents for a job application. From the beginning she was very clear about the cost of the operation and was helpful and professional at all times. Very satisfied; I would choose Quill Legal again in a heartbeat.
Harper Hutcheon
Harper Hutcheon
19:48 19 Jun 21
I sought a solicitor for document certification and Kay Blaikie was able to help me with this promptly and efficiently. I also appreciated an unexpected discount as I had a few documents all needing certification. Overall, couldn't recommend more highly, and Quill Legal will be my first point of contact if I need similar services in the future.
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