My fees are charged at the rate of £250 per hour, with a minimum fee of £125. There is no VAT chargeable on my services.
The fees of a Notary Public reflect the checks that need to be made, the skills and experience of the Notary and the fact that a Notary Public is highly regulated and required to maintain a high level of insurance cover.
My fees are based on the time taken for the whole transaction, including the need to write up a complete record after the transaction is completed.
The time taken includes: making the appointment; travelling or waiting time; meetings with my client and others involved; telephone calls; considering, preparing and working on papers; correspondence including email (and the time needed to make the record).
Fees may also be payable to third parties involved in checking and authenticating information.
These can include the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), foreign embassies, specialist agents dealing with legalisation of documents, Companies House search fees, translation fees, courier charges and other potential third-party costs. The cost of a FCDO standard “apostille” , which is part of the legalisation process, is £40 and for an e-apostille the cost is £35. Postage charges are from £12.00 for Royal Mail Special Delivery and £30-40 for a quicker DHL courier service.
My bill must be paid on presentation. It can be paid by card payment in the office or by online banking. Documents will not be released until my bill has been paid.
I reserve the right to request money is paid to me in advance in relation to work where expenses charged by third parties are to be incurred on my client’s behalf.
I will provide a fixed fee for the service that you require, giving you certainty regarding your final bill. A discount is offered for repeat clients and for clients with a large quantity of documents.
Fees depend on the complexity of the work involved but an indication of costs is as follows:
- Simple or basic fee for certification of an original document or other straightforward notarial acts: £125
- For more complex matters or where Nicholas is required to amend or re-draft foreign documents, Nicholas will charge on a time/cost basis: hourly rate of £250