Terms of Business

We suggest that you read the information below before you visit my office. It ensures that you understand what will generally happen in relation to your instructions, likely costs and disbursements, complaints procedures, and the scope and extent of the instructions given. If you have any queries in relation to the contents of this letter, please let me know before you arrange an appointment to see me. Unless otherwise agreed, these Terms of Business will apply to all future instructions you give us on this or any other matter.

Our notarial practice is regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The address is The Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3JT. The telephone number is 020 7222 5381. The email is faculty.office@1thesanctuary.com. The website is www.facultyoffice.org.uk.

We will provide you with an estimate of costs in relation to the work to be carried out. We will ensure that the work is carried out with a high degree of care. However, if you are dissatisfied with the service you have received, please do not hesitate to contact me. If we are unable to resolve the matter you may then complain to the Notaries Society of which I am a member, who have a Complaints Procedure which the Faculty Office approves. This procedure is free to use and is designed to quickly resolve any dispute.

In that case, please write a full account of your complaint (but do not enclose any original documents) to: The Secretary of The Notaries Society, P.O. Box 1023, Ipswich IP1 9XB. If you have any difficulty in making your complaint in writing, please do not hesitate to contact the Notaries Society or the Faculty Office for assistance.

Finally, even if your complaint is dealt with under the Notaries Society Approved Complaints Procedure, you may, at the end of that process or after eight weeks from the date you first notified us of your dissatisfaction, escalate your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman if you remain unsatisfied with the outcome. The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted at P.O. Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, England, by telephone at 0300 555 0333, or by email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. More information is available on their website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

If you decide to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, you must refer your matter to the Legal Ombudsman within one year from the act/omission or within one year from when you should reasonably have known there was a cause of complaint.

Notice (on the signing of any documents - Power of Attorney, Affidavit etc)

I am not your legal adviser. I have not provided any advice regarding the documents you will be signing. I have only verified either (or both) your signature, authority, or capacity based on the ID documents you have supplied. If you are signing any documents, you confirm that you have sought independent legal advice after understanding all the implications of the document. The notary is solely a witness, and you give permission for copies of notarial acts, ID, and proof of address to be retained.

It will save time, expense, and reduce mistakes if, as early as possible before the appointment, you can supply me with the originals or photocopies of (a) the documents to be notarised, (b) any letter or other form of instruction you have received regarding what needs to be done with the documents, and (c) your proof of identification. If a document is to be signed by you on behalf of a company, partnership, charity, club, or other incorporated body, there are additional requirements which I may need to insist upon, such as a Letter of Authority, Minute, Resolution, or Power of Attorney, authorising you to sign the document.

Fees

Currently, we charge a minimum fee of £60.00, and my hourly rate is £195.00 plus VAT. If you do not wish to instruct me under a fixed-fee arrangement, my fee will be charged on an hourly basis. The basis of calculation of my fees will depend on the value, importance, speed, complexity or special skills required to carry out the transaction. Estimated costs will be based on the information available during instructions. Variations in the instructions given, including requests for additional work or unexpected developments, may increase costs. I shall only carry out your instructions once the fee and disbursements, if any, are agreed. If you need a home or office visit or if services are being provided out of hours or on an urgent basis, then the fee will need to reflect this plus additional time spent travelling and waiting. Charges may also be payable to third parties, such as fees for legalisation of documents, translation fees, courier charges, Companies House search fees, etc. You will be notified of any such charges in advance when we provide you with an estimate of costs. The VAT registration number is 451 8319 90.

Use of Technology, Devices and Artificial Intelligence

Please note that to the extent that I use any automated decision-making technology, including artificial intelligence, in the course of my services, I do not rely on it without human intervention. Before using any new technology, including artificial intelligence, I carry out an appropriate risk assessment to ensure that your rights are not adversely affected.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Our maximum aggregate liability to you in this matter shall be £1 million, including interest and costs, unless we expressly state a different figure in our letter confirming your instructions. We are not liable for (a) losses that were not foreseeable to you and us when this contract was formed, (b) losses not caused by any breach on our part and (c) business losses, including losses sustained by any individual not acting for purposes of their trade, business, craft or profession.

Storage and Retrieval of Files

Your file will be stored for 12 years, and public form documents shall be stored permanently. We shall charge you a minimum fee of £40.00 to retrieve your file from storage.

Anti Money Laundering (AML)

We are required by law to confirm satisfactory evidence of the identity of our clients and, sometimes, people related to them. Any personal data received from you shall be processed with your consent, or as permitted by or under another enactment. We may have to report to the National Crime Agency where they know or suspect that a transaction may involve money laundering or terrorist financing. If we make a disclosure in relation to your matter, we may not be able to tell you that a disclosure has been made.

Protection of Privacy Notice

The business of S THOMAS NOTARY PUBLIC LIMITED (“the Business”) is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) under number ZA726814. By signing these Terms of Business, you confirm that you have read the Data Protection Privacy Notice (“Notice”) published on the Business website www.sthomasnotarypublic.com. By signing this document, you confirm that you have read the Privacy Notice published on the website. The Business will process your data while providing you with notarial and associated services, including access to our website and online features (“Services”).

External firms or organisations may conduct audits or quality checks on our practice from time to time. We specifically require these external firms or organisations to maintain full confidentiality regarding any files and papers that are audited or quality-checked. We also use external agents for related services such as Legalisation and Translation, where your information will be shared strictly to protect your confidentiality.

Apostille and Legalisation

We use external agents to carry out Apostille and Legalisation. We shall provide you with a quote for apostille/legalisation fees in advance, along with an estimated turnaround time. We shall not be responsible for any delay in the turnaround due to unforeseeable factors, including but not limited to postal delays, holidays, etc. If you require urgent FCO Apostille, we recommend using Express service with a 2–3-day turnaround time. The duration for legalisation (non-Hague countries) varies for each country. You accept all risks in relation to the documents sent to the agents for legalisation. In case of loss of documents, we shall reimburse the notarial fee, legalisation fee and a sum limited to £50 for any inconvenience caused.