Certified Copies
As solicitors, we are often asked to certify that a photocopy of an original document is a true copy of the original. Some organisations won’t accept a certified copy unless it has been certified by a solicitor. Certified copies are often required by:
prospective employers - as part of their recruitment process
banks - if you’re applying for a bank account
the Foreign & Commonwealth Office - as part of a legalisation application
solicitors - as part of their client identity checks to comply with anti-money laundering legislation
We charge a fixed fee of £30 plus VAT (VAT is currently 20%) for checking up to 3 original documents against their photocopies and certifying the photocopies (up to a maximum of 3 photocopied pages). If you prefer not to collect your documents in person, we can return them via recorded delivery.
Oaths, Affidavits & Statutory Declarations
These are legal documents signed in the presence of a solicitor in which you swear or affirm that the contents of a document are true. Oaths and Affidavits are often required for Court proceedings or as part of probate. Our fees are £5 (inc VAT) per oath/affidavit/statutory declaration, plus £2 (inc VAT) per exhibit.
For any other type of document on which you require us to witness a signature, we charge £25 plus VAT per document.
ID1 Land Registry Form completion
The ID1 Land Registry Form certifies your identity and is typically needed during property transactions to protect against identity fraud. If you have chosen not to instruct a legal professional to help you with a conveyancing or other property-related matter, the Land Registry requires you to provide a completed ID1 Form. Section A is completed by you and section B is then completed by a solicitor who is required to meet you and view your original identification and certify a passport sized photograph. Following completion of the transaction, the Land Registry may contact the solicitor to make sure that they have in fact identified the person named in the ID1 Form.
We charge a fixed fee of £75 plus VAT for completing an ID1 Land Registry Form and identifying you for the Land Registry. We can also complete ID5 certificates.
Identification Agent Fee
We charge a fixed fee of £75 plus VAT for acting as Identification Agent for banks etc.