has anybody had to get canadian documents notarized in the UK . we have sold a house in canada, so we can buy our new home in calgary and as we are not in canada we need our documents notarized before we send them back.

bob and trace

I strongly advise you to get a quote for the work before you commission a notary in the UK as they charge far more than Canadian notaries. I was quoted £20 per document!

You may be able to get a solicitor or bank official to carry out the work for a lesser fee.

I've had to get two different types of notorised copies. One lot was just documents stamped to say they were a true copy of the original, I think I was charged about £50 for approx 12 documents. I phoned around solicitors for this and got quotes.

For my application for registration I had to use a swear that I was who I said I was (notary public)and the info I was providing was accurate, this was a bit of a rip off and cost £60.

Hope this helps

sharon

I had a copy of my UK passport notarised in Ottawa last Summer. I simply walked into a law office and asked if they could notarise something. They did it on the spot and, amazingly, didn't charge me.

There is a large difference between an "English" notarised document and a "Canadian" notarised document.

In Canada "notarised" is the equivalent to a "sworn" document in England. In England solicitors and some others can do this. In Canada, paralegals can do this. In Canada (at least in Alberta) all solicitors are automatically Notary Publics as well (as well as also being Barristers !!).

A notarised document in the UK must be "sworn" before a Notary Public. Very few solicitors in the UK have this accreditation hence the reason why the fees for such are so high - the old supply and demand issue.

I would check whether you need it "notarised" or "sworn" and seek advice from someone that knows both systems as most documents that, in essence, simply need to be sworn in Canada are referred to as "notarised" ones. I would imagine that the document can simply be sworn. If this is the case, then solicitors in England and Wales are only allowed to charge £5 per swear (and £2 per exhibit if there are any exhibits). Your local County Court office will have someone there that can do such "swears" for free.

If you have to go to a Notary Public, they are likely to charge a minimum of £50.

I would imagine that you will simply need a solicitor to swear it and then seal the document. As I have said, most County Court offices will be able to do this for you for no fee.

HTH

My OH just had a Notary Public earn £35 for doing very little.

The solicitor that he rang up about it all said they have a roving notary public come around to them something like twice a week.

The daftest thing about it was that when my OH refused to swear anything over a bible and the bloke didn't have an alternative, he did a shifty look around and said 'oh, nevermind' then just signed and stamped where he needed to. Job done and my OH left considering a career change.

Kabel

The Notary should be shot. He should be reported

Turns the whole thing into a bit of a mockery doesn't it.

I don't think he knew what to do when my OH said no to swearing on a bible. You would have thought he would have had an alternative though. He did ask my OH if everything in the document that needed notorising was true but isn't exactly what you are paying for is it?

Have to ask what difference would it make swearing on anything anyway...you can always just lie...or would you burn in hell?

Kabel

If someone doesn't want to swear they simply affirm. The whole thing is a load of old tosh anyway as most people wouldn't care less that what they are saying is untrue

Every time we have had any of our ducumentation notarised, we have used a Public Notary just outside Northampton.

For anything up to 15 separate documents he charges £50. He was very thorough, asking questions about our application.

Nice to find interested human beings who aren't just out for the cash.

Simon

Don't know if their is a difference in Scotland but our Solicitor did all our documents for us (and there were over 100). He didn't charge us for this as he knew we were about to sell the house and was hopeful we would send the business his way.

Guess what, we did. So he made out of it in the end.