Advice needed re: Notary Public

[CactusVera]

Hi there everyone :] This is my first time posting so I might be a little rusty and long-winded!

The situation is this:

I need to get a legal document from the States notarised here in order to make my brother executor of our Mum's estate. As far as I can see, the document really just entails my signature and the date, and of course the notary's stamp/verification/whatever it is that they do. We all live over here now but my brother has returned to the states in order to get these things organised and so we haven't got much time.

The problem is this:

I've spent hours trekking around London trying to find a solicitor or notary public and I've been given disappointing news. The notary public I spoke to said that I would have to pay £70 for the service.

A family member mentioned that they'd had a solicitor swear under oath (?) and that had sufficed American courts in the past, albeit for a different purpose (which had costed more in the region of £10). However, none of the solicitors could give me any other options.

In America a notary charges around $5, and I cannot afford the fees I've been quoted here.

Is there an alternative?

Any advice would be gratefully accepted!

Unfortunately I think you will have no choice but to get the document notarised which is completely different from a solicitor just doing a 'swear' which costs five pounds. I had to get some American legal documents notarised and I had no choice. Luckily at the time I was working form a firm of Solicitors that had a notary and they did it cheaper for me but you would normally expect to pay in the region of 100 pounds.

You can of course just try getting it sworn and see if it is accepted but knowing how things are done in the states they may well reject it and insist that the document is notarised.

Thanks for the advice. It seems the people I've asked have said things along the same lines. Sometimes the American system seems a little ignorant of the British system so I was hoping it might work out in my favor, but as you said it might be more harm than good. :S

The american system is a PITA.
I've been attempting to close down a bank account in the states which is just taking forever. I've written three times, completed the forms they requested which have been returned twice (once by hand) and still 3 years later they haven't closed it and are now asking for a notarised document to be sent. This will cost me around 100 pounds when the amount in the account is aruond $10! Bloody ridiculous!

Hope you manage to get it sorted

It is a real pain - I guess they just don't know/don't take into account the fact that things aren't the same in other countries. Off to Citizen's Advice in a few moments to get some more information.

Good luck with yours :)