Free deed poll name change is a term commonly typed into Internet search engines. Sadly however, many sites that profess to offer a free Deed Poll download subsequently charge for the service once you examine the small print on their websites.

At MD Pryke Notary Public LLP members of the public often contact us to enquire whether our free deed poll service is genuinely available at no charge and whether they have to be in the London area in order to take advantage of our offer.

To clarify our position we can categorically state that our Deed Poll document is provided completely free of charge to the public.  There’s no catch to worry about, just a genuinely gratis deed poll name change document for UK citizens, which is available free to download and is totally legally binding.

Simply download the name change document at http://www.mdpryke-notary.com/2010/08/changing-name-by-deed-poll and fill it in using the easily understood directions.

As discussed in a response to a client’s questions which can be viewed at http://www.mdpryke-notary.com/2010/09/deed-poll-name-change-storm-on-x-factor it is essential that you follow the steps as described and that you sign the deed poll in front of a witness.

A Notary Public or solicitor is not required, but it must be witnessed by a third party in order that your free name change by deed poll process becomes legally binding and recongnised in any court in England and Wales.

For further details on our free deed poll service please contact MD Pryke Notary Public LLP on 0207 636 4422, or through the usual channels.

Notary Public London guides to various aspects of the legal process, have received a great deal of positive feedback from clients and fellow Notaries Public alike, over the last few months.  Today we will address various aspects of the term ‘Power of Attorney’.  As ever, this series will apply primarily to the Law of England and Wales.  A Notary Public in London, for example, may offer different advice to a Notary Public in Scotland as the law varies across the UK.

What is a Power of Attorney?

There are several different types of Power of Attorney and your Notary Public will recommend which to pursue depending on the individual circumstances which we will address later in this series.  Broadly speaking, however, a Power of Attorney (also known as POA) is a procedure where you grant a third party the right to act on your behalf.

Who seeks a Power of Attorney?

Again, there are several different circumstances where a person might approach a Notary Public in London (or solicitor, barrister, etc) either to draft a POA or to get one notarised.  One of the main reasons is to ensure that, should you become too mentally infirm to conduct your own affairs, you would grant someone a POA to act in your best interests.  This is often in case of senile dementia, prior to a serious surgical procedure, or simply as a prudent step to protect against misfortune.

Alternatively, someone conducting a property deal in a foreign country may approach a Notary in London to draft a POA on their behalf, so they can authorise a third person, often a foreign qualified lawyer, to act for them, without having to be physically present at the property transaction.

For further information regarding how your Notary in London may assist with a Power of Attorney, please see further articles in this series, or contact MD Pryke Notary Public LLP on 0207 636 4422.

When London Notary Matthew Pryke was quoted in a Sunday Times article on Intellectual Property for entrepreneurs, many clients of MD Pryke Notary Public LLP were surprised to learn that Matthew’s legal expertise stretched further than Notary matters.

As well as being a fully qualified Notary Public in London, Matthew is also Head of Commercial and IP Law at Wallace LLP.  A position that has brought him to the attention of the London public once more with the publication of the current edition of the Legal 500.

Readers who are interested in what a Notary Public London gets up to when not dealing with notarial matters can find the article here: http://www.legal500.com/firms/3446-wallace-llp/offices/543-london.  In short, the article recommends Matthew for his ‘consistent, proactive advice’ for clients such as Models1, Costcutter and Lovebox Entertainment.

Matthew says, ‘To be recommended in the Legal 500 is obviously flattering, but whether I am operating as a commercial lawyer or in my role as a Notary Public in London, I always aim to deliver a clear sighted, jargon free service to my clients.  The key is to explain the relevant options and procedures and advise them on how to achieve the best results for their business.’

For further information on the role of a Notary Public in London or for Commercial and IP advice please contact Matthew through the usual channels or call him on 0207 636 4432.

Legal 500

As a London Notary Public LLP we are often approached by residents of Scotland who are surprised that in England not all Solicitors are qualified notaries.  This is due to discrepancies between English and Scottish law.

A Notary Public in London, for example, must first sit an exam to qualify as a Notary, whereas in Scotland all Solicitors were automatically deemed to be a Notary Public, prior to 2007.  Since then, however, a Notary in Scotland must hold a current practising certificate issued by the Law Society of Scotland, and Notaries Public in Scotland are administered by the Council of the Law Society of Scotland.

As a result it can be easier to find a Notary Public in Edinburgh or Glasgow than it is to find a Notary Public London.  Despite such differences, a Notary in Glasgow, for example, will perform much the same role as a Notary Public London, although in Scotland Notaries can be required for certain declarations in matters of divorce.  This is a role which a Notary Public London would never be requested to perform.

Should you require any further information on the different roles performed by a Notary Public London as opposed to a Scottish Notary, please contact us on 0207 636 4422.  Alternatively, fill out a written request via our website contact form or email Matthew Pryke directly at Matthew@mdpryke-notary.com

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.

Notary Public at One Portland Place W1

Notary Public Matthew Pryke, today unveils his newly refurbished offices at One Portland Place in London’s West End.

‘A Notary Public service based in the City of London attracts some very high profile business names,’ says Matthew.

‘With clients as diverse as Toni and Guy International, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, and The Children’s Investment Fund, it is vital that our Notary Public premises in London reflect the high quality notarial service we provide.

‘We have extensively refitted the reception area for our London Notary clients, and although we provide a same day legalisation service and endeavour to deal with all notarial and apostille work with great efficiency, we hope that our clients will find their surroundings as comfortable as possible.

‘Notary Public in London clients passing our door looking for a same day apostille service will be able to see our offices clearly marked on the new plaque that reads “MD Pryke Notary Public”’

For further details regarding Notary Public in London Services please contact us via the usual channels or call directly on 0207 6364422.

Notary Public, Matthew Pryke today offers advice for clients who may be affected by brief closures to the legalisation offices in London

‘A Notary must keep his clients informed of barrier to the swift legalisation of their documents’, says Matthew Pryke Notary Public LLP.

‘As a Notary in London, it has been brought to my attention that the Legalisation Office in Central London will cease the legalisation of documents at 3pm on Wednesday 10 February.  A Notary wishing to legalise documents will have to wait until Friday 12 February, before the legalisation office re-opens.

‘A Notary in London would normally continue their notary service by sending their notary matters to the legalisation office at Norfolk House in Milton Keynes, if the London Legalisation office is closed.

‘The Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes, however, will also be closed from 3pm on Thursday 11 February and reopen on Monday 15 February 2010.

‘A Notary in London thrives on a fast turnaround service, so clients wishing their Notary Public to legalise documents over this period may have to bring their Notary matters forward to ensure they experience no delays.

‘These changes are due to essential IT upgrades and I look forward to working with these Legalisation offices once their normal service is resumed on Monday 15 February.’

If you are a client concerned about how the closure of Legalisation offices will affect your Notary service please contact Matthew through the usual channels.

Notary in London Matthew Pryke today launches a campaign to encourage law firms and fellow Notary Publics to donate a small percentage of their fees to a designated charity partner.

Matthew Pryke Notary Public says, ‘It’s not about the size of the donation really.  It’s more a case of little and often.

‘Notary matters tend to generate relatively small amounts of revenue, often just a small fee to notarise a document.  By donating £10 for every notary transaction I was recently able to donate £2,600 through my notary business to my designated Charity partner Honeypot to provide respite care for children who act as carers to their family.

Many clients enjoy the fact that a percentage of the firm’s revenue is passed on to community charities.  I would encourage other notary practices and law firms to set up a similar arrangement with a charity partner like Honeypot.  It generates revenue for their business, supports the local community and can help the public understand that the legal profession is more public spirited than they might believe.’

Ronan Macmillan of Honeypot agrees.  ‘We are thrilled that Notary Public Matthew Pryke has pledged to donate £10 to Honeypot for every notary task he undertakes.

In addition to the £2,600 he has raised through his London Notary practice this year, last year he raised £32,000 by organising a trip to climb Kilimanjaro and we are delighted to have Matthew  as an official corporate sponsor.’

If you are a Notary, or know of a Notary Public who is interested in sponsoring Honeypot, please call Matthew Pryke Notary Public to discuss this further.

For more information on how Matthew Pryke Notary Public donates to Honeypot through his Notary business, please visit www.mdpryke-notary.com/londonnotarypubliccharity

The current weakness of the pound presents an excellent opportunity for investors from Saudi Arabia looking to do business in the UK.

A Notary can provide valuable assistance to corporations by legalising documents (also called apostille) to ensure that all official documents are verified.  UK Notary in London Matthew Pryke has worked extensively with Saudi businesses in his position as Head of Commercial and IP Law at Wallace LLP and through his London Notary practice.

He offers the following advice to any potential Saudi investors seeking a Notary in London to provide document legalisation services.

1. Notary publics must follow various procedures depending on which country the documents to be legalised originate.  This means that some commercial documents to be used in Saudi Arabia must be obtained through the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce as well as the Foreign and Commonwealth office.  This legalisation procedure must be followed by every Notary in London and other UK Notary.

2. Notary in London Matthew Pryke offers a same day service for the majority of Notary deeds.  He advises, however, that legalising documents from Saudi Arabia may take up to a week for a Notary to complete.

3. Notarizing documents that only require legalisation by the Consular Office of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia can be completed in one or two days.

4. Notary publics in London can charge a wide range of fees for legalising documents for use in Saudi Arabia.  UK Notary in London Matthew Pryke’s fees are £50 per document plus the consular fee.  The document to be legalised must first be certified by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office where the fee for certification is £69 per document.

5. Two photocopies are required of each document to be legalized and the name and address of the consignee or agent must appear on each document.