Notaries & Apostille

Do you or a friend/ family member need a notary public or an apostille certificate?

If you have been told you must “see a notary” or “get an apostille” for your documents, we can introduce you to a trusted Notary Public and apostille provider.

A notary public is a specialist lawyer who verifies your identity and authority, ensures you understand what you are signing, and then formally certifies documents so they can be relied on in the UK and abroad.

An apostille (sometimes called “document legalisation”) is a certificate issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Legalisation Office that confirms a UK document is genuine so it can be accepted in another country under the Hague Apostille Convention.

You do not need to be an existing Fern Wills & LPAs client to have us introduce you to a notary or apostille service, and there is no obligation to change your Will or Lasting Powers of Attorney.

We do not provide notarial or apostille services ourselves. Instead, we work with independent notaries and legalisation providers we trust, and you are free to choose the professional who is right for you.

We do not provide notarial or apostille services ourselves – we introduce trusted independent specialists.

What is an apostille, and when might you need one?

In everyday terms, an apostille certificate is attached to a UK document to show officials in another country that it is valid and that any signatures, stamps or seals are genuine.

Typical reasons people ask about notary and apostille services include:

• certifying copies of passports, utility bills and bank statements for identity and address checks
• witnessing signatures on important documents, including those for use abroad
• passport applications for minors for use abroad
• permission for a child to travel abroad, or consent letters requested by airlines, schools or authorities
• authenticating company and business documents or transactions, including Companies House director and identity verification
• moving abroad and needing UK documents recognised
• buying or selling property overseas
• arranging an overseas mortgage or bank loan
• signing a power of attorney that will be used in another country
• proving qualifications or professional status for a job abroad
• dealing with overseas pensions, court papers or official documents

In many cases, a notary public must first certify the document. The FCDO then checks the notary’s signature and issues the apostille certificate so the document can be used abroad.

Some providers also offer e-apostille and e-notarisation for certain types of documents, which can speed up and simplify the process when the destination country accepts them.

One warm introduction can save weeks of back-and-forth with banks, embassies and overseas authorities.

How Fern Wills & LPAs help clients with notaries and apostilles

For clients, our role is to keep things simple and coordinated.

We listen first

We ask for the document, the country it is for, who requested it, and how urgent it is. That helps you understand whether you really need a notary and/or an apostille, or whether something simpler will do.

We make warm introductions

If a notary or apostille service is needed, we can introduce you to a trusted Notary Public and, with your permission, give them a short, focused summary of what you need – for example, “bank loan paperwork that must be notarised and apostilled” or “documents for an overseas property sale”.

We keep it light-touch

Some matters are completely standalone and have nothing to do with Wills or LPAs. In those cases, we connect you and step back. If your Wills or LPAs are relevant, we can help ensure they do not inadvertently overlap with what the notary and FCDO are doing for you, but there is never any pressure to change them.

We respect your choices

You are always free to use your own notary or apostille provider, or to ask us for names and then decide later. We aim to make things easier and more transparent, not to tie you in.

Some clients only need a notary once; others return again and again – either way, we help them reach the right specialist quickly.

Benefit to the notary or apostille provider

From a notary/apostille provider’s perspective, working with Fern Wills & LPAs means:

Clear, prepared clients

By the time we make an introduction, clients usually understand at a basic level why they need a notary public, what an apostille is and what identification they will need to bring. That reduces wasted appointments and last-minute surprises.

Context, not interference

With the client’s consent, we can provide a short background note: for example, that the appointment relates to bank lending, overseas property, a cross-border power of attorney, embassy requirements or Companies House identity verification. We do not tell you how to do your job; we give you the context you often wish you had.

Joined-up planning when it matters

Where there is a link with estate planning – for example, a power of attorney for relatives abroad or overseas assets that also appear in a Will – we can help make sure the broader plan supports, rather than conflicts with, the documents being notarised and legalised.

A reliable route for onward introductions

When you see that a client clearly needs Wills, trusts or LPA advice, you can introduce them to a specialist you know, instead of feeling obliged to cover that ground yourself.

How we work with notaries and apostille services

• We triage enquiries first, so we only send appropriate matters.
• We make warm, focused introductions rather than simply passing over a name.
• With the client’s permission, we are happy to liaise directly to clarify estate-planning points that touch your notarial or legalisation work.
• We recognise that the professional retainer is yours. Legal responsibility for notarial acts and the apostille process remains with you at all times.

For professionals, we send clear, prepared clients and keep your professional retainer firmly with you.

Cases

Identity and address documents for banks, employers and landlords
A client needed certified copies of their passport and bank statements for an overseas employer and a new bank. We explained why a notary public was required, helped them gather the proper identification and made a warm introduction. The notary certified the documents and, where needed, arranged an apostille, so the employer and bank accepted the paperwork without delay.

Passport applications and consent for children travelling abroad
Parents needed to complete a passport application and consent documents for a child travelling abroad—the foreign authority required notarised signatures with an apostille. We clarified the request, explained what the notary would do and introduced the family to a suitable provider. The notary handled the certification and legalisation; the trip went ahead with the correct documents in place.

Companies House and business documents
A company director had to notarise identity documents and company paperwork for Companies House verification and an overseas banking relationship. We helped the director understand what would be checked, gathered the information the notary would need and made a warm introduction. The notary completed the required certification, and the director then chose to update his personal Wills and LPAs with us in light of the new business arrangements.

Bank loan – multiple documents to notarise and legalise
A client’s friend needed 10 documents notarised for a bank loan linked to an overseas transaction. Instead of simply suggesting they “find a notary,” we introduced them to a trusted provider, explained that the matter involved loan documents needing notarisation and, where required, apostille. The notary prepared properly, and the lender received the correctly executed documents on time.

Overseas property and other standalone documents
A couple were selling a property abroad while living in the UK. The buyer’s lawyer required notarised signatures on a power of attorney and several sale documents, with apostille certificates attached. We explained the process, helped the clients gather the relevant papers and introduced them to a suitable notary. In other situations, such as proof-of-life certificates for overseas pensions or sworn statements for foreign courts, we connect people with a trusted notary/apostille provider, without any expectation that they will take further services from us.

Invitation

Whether you:

• need a notary public or apostille certificate for your own documents,
• have been told by a bank, lawyer, employer or authority that your UK documents must be notarised or legalised, or
• are a Notary Public or apostille provider who would like a reliable estate-planning contact to introduce clients to,

I would be happy to have an initial conversation about how we can work together.