Seeing A Notary
Preliminary
Email me. I will at the very outset advise is it a notary you want and can I help you. If proceeding I will then estimate fees, and furnish you with detailed preliminary information as regards GDPR, Apostille, money laundering, anti-terrorism and Russian sanctions. An appointment follows AFTER all that.
Know Your Client
Notarising a document today requires much the same anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering formalities as apply on opening a new bank account and the like. The rules are very strict. You must satisfactorily prove your identity and place of residence and the Notary must get to know the circumstances of the transaction. And then keep the identification records for five years.
Passport and utility bill (or similar) always needed.
Apostille and Legalisation
The Apostille is a process whereby a nation state authenticates its Notaries Public / other public officials so that documents authenticated by such Notaries Public / other public officials can
then be relied upon in other nation states. I authenticate your signature / document and then the Department of Foreign Affairs authenticates me.
The Apostille procedure applies as between all those many countries that have signed up to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. Ireland signed up in 1999. About three quarters of all the other countries in the world have also done so, and these are listed in alphabetical order and may easily be checked on the Hague Convention website https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/authorities1/?cid=41.
In the last century as between all countries, but nowadays only with those few countries not yet signed up to the Apostille system, the traditional slow / costly / bothersome system called “Legalisation” was / is still in play. Legalisation of a notary involves the Supreme Court Office, DFA, target country embassy (if there is one in Ireland), but if not then the British Foreign Office / target country embassy over there. Keep your fingers crossed and check the Apostille list.
Complete the Documents
Complete / fill in all the gaps in the documentation to the best of your ability beforehand. You cannot leave gaps in the document that are intended to be filled in later. I do not wish or need to see the document being completed. I absolutely do need to see you signing the document. Particularly while Covid still lurks, we will strive to keep our meeting as brief as possible. Have the document explained to and/or translated for you by someone you trust before you see any Notary.
Foreign Language Documents
I will always require you to acknowledge formally in writing in a standard format that you understand the document, especially one in (or partly in) a foreign language. Have the document explained to and/or translated for you by someone you trust before you come to see me.
E-Mail
Do not e-mail documents to me in advance of your appointment, unless / until, which is actually quite likely, I specifically ask you to do so. If then I want to address a specific aspect of matters which it is anticipated may cause subsequent difficulty, I can address the matter at that stage.
Power of Attorney
A Power of Attorney is a document signed by one person (usually called the ‘donor’) giving another person (usually called the ‘donee‘ or the ‘attorney‘) power to sign documents on the donor’s behalf and to do such things in relation to his or her affairs as are described specifically (a limited power) or generally (a general power) in the document.
Powers of Attorney are particularly useful instruments, but whereas it is most important you understand absolutely any document you sign, this is particularly so with Powers of Attorney.