After 5 successful years at Portland Place, London, on Monday 10^th October 2011 London Notary Public Practice M D Pryke will open a notary public office at 119-121 Park Lane, W1K 7AG.  The notarial services provided by this London notary will continue to provide a full legalisation and notary service.

The business is moving from its current location at Portland Place to a more prominent position in W1 and has chosen an iconic Park Lane address.  The Notary Publics London new office address will be 119-121 Park Lane, London W1K 7AG.  The relocation of this notary public practice will provide further accessibility to notary services both to individuals and businesses in the West End and also to clients in SW1, Victoria, Marble Arch and other surrounding locations in the City of Westminster.

Matthew Pryke, owner of M D Pryke Notary Public LLP commented “This is a very exciting step in the growth and expansion of our notary practice.  We have been located in Portland Place for the last five years.  The practice has continued to grow and it has become clear that the business and it’s clients would benefit from being located in this iconic part of London.  The offices in Park Lane are both accessible and luxurious.  The whole team are very much looking forward to moving to the new notary offices in October.”

The notary practice will continue to operate from its London office at One Portland Place until 30 September 2011.  For more information about this notary public practice and the notarisation and legalisation services offered please refer to the website at www.mdpryke-notary.com.

Notary Public in London business, MD Pryke Notary Public LLP, is proud to announce that this week they received their 1000^th new client.  Notary practice director Matthew Pryke was delighted at passing such a significant milestone.

‘London presents a very competitive market in which to operate a Notary Public service’, says Matthew.  ‘It is vital that as a business focused Notary practice based in central London, we match the pace and intensity of the corporate clients we serve.

‘Of course, a London Notary Practice such as ours thrives on repeat business from clients who value our level of service, our competitive pricing structure and our forensic attention to detail on every transaction.  To pass the 1000 mark for new clients remains a significant achievement however, and it reflects the intelligence and hard work of the MD Pryke Notary Public LLP team who go to such great lengths to ensure that every notarial transaction is completed swiftly and efficiently, and with the absolute minimum of fuss.

‘Whether my staff are advising clients on legalisation matters, apostille work, power of attorney issues or our free deed poll service; their diligence and common sense approach is unparalleled.’

For further details of how this Notary London practice can service your Notarial requirements, please contact us on 0207 6364422, or via our website.

Although best known to this readership as a Notary Public, London Notary Matthew Pryke is also Head of Commercial and Intellectual Property Law at Wallace LLP.  On Sunday 12^th September 2010 he was featured in the Sunday Times Small Business section giving Trademark advice for entrepreneurs.

The article recommended that small businesses and entrepreneurs protect their assets with a Trademark and urges readers to consider that any identifiable part of their business can be subject to a Trademark application, not only trading names and logos, but also product design and slogans.  Matthew believes that there is a natural synergy between advising clients of their Trademark rights and operating as a Notary Public.  ‘London is one of the Business capitals of the world,’ says Matthew.

‘As a Notary Public London offers a wide variety of business opportunities,’ he continues.  ‘Many firms that initially approach me requiring a Notary Public in London, later request my services regarding Trademark advice and both aspects require a forensic attention to detail, coupled with an eye for giving a client practical advice to ensure their investment is protected.

‘As a business focused Notary Public London is a prime place to operate but the core ethos of a Notary service is exactly the same as that of a Trademark lawyer.  Clients require swift, practical advice that is applicable to a business situation and will protect their assets while maximising their profit potential.’

If you require further advice on Notary public London procedures or any aspect of Trademark Law, call Matthew on 0207 636 4422 or contact him via the website.

A Deed Poll is a document used for legally changing name.  Whatever the reason for a name change (changing a surname after divorce for example, or changing a first name) it can be completed free of charge by using an MD Pryke Notary Public LLP Deed Poll form as laid out below.

A Deed Poll is a term with which most people are familiar.  If they are intent on a new name people believe they must visit a Solicitor or a Notary Public to change name legally by Deed Poll.  A legal name change, however, is a simple process and can be completed free of charge in three easy steps.

Free name change step 1.

Download a free Deed Poll here

Free name change step 2.

Simply open the Deed Poll thumbnail and follow the instructions written in red.  You must delete the red writing and replace it as per the Deed Poll instructions.

Free name change step 3.

Once you have filled in the Deed poll, you must sign it and get it witnessed by an independent third party as per the instructions on the Deed Poll.

Once your Deed Poll is filled out correctly, you have now changed your name by Deed Poll.

Your name change is now 100% legal – KEEP THE DOCUMENT IN A SAFE PLACE!

Should anyone question your new name, this completed Deed Poll certificate will verify your change of identity.  To change your name on a Passport, government document, etc, you will need to present either your original Deed Poll or an official certified copy.

For further information on our free legal name change Deed Poll, or on any of our Notary Public Services please contact Matthew on 0207 6364422.

Notaries Public practising in the UK are obliged to use a Notary stamp to authenticate documents.  UK Notaries Public must use a steel Notary stamp that is unique to their Notarial Practice, unlike their US counterparts who use a rubber Notary Stamp, similar to those used by Banks and Building Societies.

At MD Pryke Notary Public LLP we use a steel Notary stamp as pictured below

Notary Stamp used by London Notary Public, Matthew Pryke

Which creates a Notary stamp imprint as follows

UK Notary seal, example of...

For more information on UK Notary stamps, please contact M D Pryke Notary Public LLP  through the usual channels.

Legalisation of Police Clearance Certificates can be a complex subject for Notaries as well as for the general public.  As a Notary Public firm working in London, MD Pryke Notary Public LLP are often asked to clarify which types of certificate require legalisation, and which can be processed without Notarial involvement.

Essentially, there are three distinct types of Police Clearance Certificate in the United Kingdom and their legalisation requirements vary.

The Subject Access Letter does not require the signature of a Notary to be legalised, as a signature from an officer of the Criminal Records Bureau will suffice.  The Foreign and Commonwealth office hold the signatures of the relevant officers on their database for future reference.

The Police Certificate for use in Immigration matters is relevant only for the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa and does not require additional legalisation or further certification of any kind, therefore a Notary will not be required.

In Scotland, however, the Criminal Records Bureau issue a document called Disclosure which must be certified by a Notary Public (or a practising Solicitor, Barrister, or certain types of Legal Executive) before they can be legalised.

Should you require further information concerning any aspect of Legalisation, Notary Services in London, or the Notarial process in general, please contact MD Pryke Notary Public LLP on 0207 6364422 or via the contact form on our website.

This is the second article in a series that details the Apostille process.

Article 1 dealt with: The need for an Apostille Certificate, What a typical Apostille Certificate looks like, which countries accept them and the information they include.

Are all Apostille certificates the same?

No.  Although Apostille certificates were introduced by the Hague Convention of January 1965 to provide a standardised set of rules governing legalisation between member states, there are certain exceptions.

As of July 2010 the Legalisation office in Milton Keynes declares that all Apostilles issued for use in Russian child adoption cases must now be square as indicated below.

Square Apostille Certificate

For further information on the new Apostille Certificates pertaining to Russian child adoption cases, please contact London Notary Public Matthew Pryke through the usual channels.

A Commissioner for Oaths is a person in the legal profession who is entrusted with the ability to witness the signing and swearing of documents.

Quite simply, they witness you signing a document and swearing that the information you have supplied is correct to the best of your knowledge.  Then the Commissioner for Oaths will sign to authenticate your declaration.

You may need the services of a Commissioner for Oaths if you are: changing a will, making a power of attorney or a statutory declaration, swearing an affidavit.

Can anyone be a Commissioner for Oaths?

Commissioner for Oaths are most usually Solicitors or qualified Notaries Public but other people within the legal profession such as Barristers, Legal Executives and Licensed Conveyancers are just as qualified to fulfill this role.  Be aware, however, that a Solicitor is forbidden to act as a Commissioner of Oaths in any proceedings in which they have a vested interest.  So, if you are involved in a legal case which requires you to sign an affidavit, then you must sign in front of a Solicitor who is not acting on your case.

What does a Commissioner for Oaths charge?

Although the fees charged by a Commissioner for Oaths are determined by statute, it is not unusual for prices to vary depending on where you are in the country, the VAT status of the firm providing the service, and the branch of the legal profession that one approaches to fulfill the function.  As ever, it is always advisable to obtain a quote in advance from any oaths commissioners that you approach.

However, for the most part expect to pay no less than £5 to your Commissioner of Oaths for each person making an affidavit, declaration or affirmation along with a further £2 for each additional exhibit or schedule.

For details of the fees we charge for acting as a Commissioner for Oaths please refer to the fees section of MD Pryke Notary Public LLP at www.mdpryke-notary.com

Okay, so you’ve been told that you need to legalise a document.  The chances are that you are doing business abroad and, because the documents relate to a different judicial system, you must have them officially legalised.  This effectively means that you are required to run the documents past an officially approved third party to validate their authenticity such as a UK Notary.

Matthew Pryke is a fully qualified UK Notary Public who provides a complete range of legalisation solutions and UK Notary services from his offices in London’s West End.  He has produced this brief guide to enable people who require a document to be legalised in the United Kingdom to fully understand their UK Notary legalisation options.

Five Legalisation tips everyone should know

1. Always obtain a legalisation fee quote in advance.   Any UK Notary should be able to give you a clear idea of how much the procedure will cost you in advance of retaining their services.

2. Shop around.  As with any consumer choice it pays to compare the legalisation marketplace.  Prices vary considerably.  Some UK Notaries charge VAT on their prices.  Others do not.  This will save you 17.5% of the fee before you even begin to compare services.

3. The legalisation process can be lengthy.  It may be necessary to queue for hours on end at certain Embassies and Consulates.  This may be acceptable if you can spare the time and manpower, otherwise your UK Notary may be able to recommend cost effective solutions to obtain this on your behalf.

4. Make sure that you give your UK Notary clear instructions as to the deadline for receiving the legalised documents. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (who administer apostilles) offer differing levels of service and cost depending on how quickly the documents must be legalised.  If your documents are not urgent, take care that you are not paying a premium for a service that you don’t require.

5. Ask questions.  Experienced UK Notaries Public will be aware that this may all be new to you and will be able to reassure you over any complexity that arises and to explain the issues in clear, plain English.

If you have any queries about the UK Legalisation process, please contact M D Pryke Notary Public LLP and they will be delighted to address your concerns.

London Notary Public Matthew Pryke has today (5 May 2009) launched a new internet TV channel, London Notary Public TV. This London Notary Public practice has produced a number of short video clips to provide guidance to individuals and businesses looking to use the services of a Notary Public in London. The channel also provides some further information regarding the London Notary Public practice of M D Pryke Notary Public, which is based in Mayfair.

London Notary Public, Matthew Pryke explains, “The new internet TV channel provides a short guide for people who may not have used the services of a Notary Public previously and therefore want to know what they should expect. Hopefully this video guide proves to be a useful initial resource for individuals seeking the services of a London Notary Public.” For an example of the content produced by London Notary Public TV please refer to the embedded link below regarding Notary Public services.