Comprehensive
Notary and Legalisation Services
Our firm provides notarial services for individuals and businesses requiring document authentication.
Notary Roberto Gaglione is qualified in England and Wales and holds regular clinics throughout England, including Peterborough, Cambridge, Sutton, Woking, and Worthing, in addition to our London and Bedford offices.
We prepare and authenticate powers of attorney, certify documents, witness signatures, administer oaths and declarations, and provide legalisation services for documents required in the UK, Italy, and other jurisdictions. Our notary works in Italian, English, and Spanish.
Notarisation Services
You will normally require the services of a Notary Public when you have documents which are needed to be used abroad. The Notaries signature and seal will verify to the authorities in that country that the relevant checks have been carried out.
The need for a notary public is dictated by the requirements of the country where the document is to be used. For example, if you wish to buy a property abroad, it is often necessary to give your overseas lawyer power to deal with the purchase. This can be done by means of a power of attorney, which is signed by you in front of a notary. The notary public will confirm your name and identity and sign the document and seal it with their official seal.
A Notary Public, can authenticate or legalise any document. A Notary can also provide legalisation or an apostille, if needed.
A Notary Public can provide the following services for businesses:
• Witnessing a power of attorney
• Notarisation of company documents
• Assignments or registration of trade marks
• Apostille and legalisation service
• Affidavits, statutory declarations, and sworn statements
• Share issues certified by a notary public
• Property transactions, transfers, purchases, sales
• Any other documents for abroad, which require a notary public stamp
A Notary Public can provide the following services for individuals:
• Setting up a power of attorney
• Permission to let one parent travel with children
• Certified copies of documents such as exam certificates
• Transfers of land, houses, shares
• Lost passports, share certificates or other documents
• Statutory declarations made before a notary public
• Declarations of single status when getting married
• Oaths
• Copies of passports for example to open a bank account
• Apostille and legalisations at consulates
• Any other documents for abroad, which require a notary public stamp
If a document requiring notarisation is in a foreign language it may be necessary for the document to be translated by an official translator who will then have to sign a statutory declaration certifying that it is a true translation.
In some cases the Notary may be able to watch the signing of a foreign document and then prepare a covering certificate on which they fix their seal of office and signature to confirm that they have witnessed the signing and checked identity. The Notary must be completely satisfied that the person signing is fully conversant with the language of the document and has been properly advised on its contents.
Legalisation Services
Many countries also require notarised documents to be legalised.
Legalisation is a double check to make sure that the notaries’ signature is genuine and recognised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Documents may also be checked by foreign embassies to make sure that the notary’s signature matches the one on their records. The requirement for this will depend on the foreign country involved. Once the authenticity of the signature is confirmed a certificate is attached, called an “Apostille”.
Following the implementation of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, notaries are now obliged to keep sufficient evidence on their files of the identity and the address of all their clients before they undertake any work.
Each person whose signature they are to certify must provide one of the following original identification documents at the time of the appointment.
• Passport
• Driving licence (with photo card)
• National identity card (EEA state members)
• An armed forces pass (with photo and signature)
• Other government issue ID (with photo and signature)
• Residence permit
• Benefit book or original notification letter from Benefits Agency
In addition, they require proof of residence, which can be one of the following original documents:
• Bank statement or letter from bank
• Utility bill or council tax bill (not mobile phone bill)
• Tenancy agreement or Housing Association rent card
• Inland revenue tax demand or self assessment statement
When a notary public is acting for a corporate client, evidence of the due incorporation of the company or entity is required. This can be one of the following documents:
• Extract from the company register
• Certificate of incorporation
• Latest report and audited accounts
• Up to date certified copy of partnership agreement
• Evidence of being regulated by a regulatory body such as the Law Society or FSA.
In addition to the above, each individual signatory will need to produce one of the identification documents mentioned above.
A quotation can usually be given in advance but so that we can establish the charges please tell us the following:
What service you need – witnessing signatures, certifying copy documents, obtaining Apostille etc
The type of documents concerned – for instance is it a Power of Attorney that you need witnessing
Who is signing or presenting the documents – are they personal papers or for a Company?
How many documents are there?
Which country they are to go to.
Alessandro Gaglione
Partner – Gaglione Notaries & Solicitors, London
Solicitor & Avvocato
Alessandro is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales and a practising lawyer in Italy (avvocato). Founder of SLIG EDUCATION, he is currently a partner at Gaglione Notaries & Solicitors, where he specialises in commercial and corporate and real estate law. Alessandro regularly lectures at seminars and training events in Italy and the UK, with a focus on legal terminology and the English legal system. Alessandro also works closely with the Anglo-Italian community, regularly assisting London-based Italians on pro bono matters and is actively involved in the Italian community of London as part of COMITES.
Giuseppe Gaglione
Partner – Gaglione Notaries & Solicitors,
Solicitor & Avvocato
Giuseppe is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales and a practising lawyer in Italy (avvocato). He is currently a partner at Gaglione Notaries & Solicitors, and specializes in cross border inheritance legal issues involving Trusts & Estates. Giuseppe has been endorsed by the International Division of the Law Society of England and Wales and is often invited as a speaker to events organised by the Consulate General of Italy in London. In addition, Giuseppe lectures at seminars and events in Italy and in the UK and also provides pro bono legal advice.
Roberto Gaglione
Partner – Gaglione Notaries & Solicitors, London
Public Notary & Avvocato
Roberto is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales and a practising lawyer in Italy (Avvocato). Roberto specialised in advising on asset tracing and debt recovery in Italy and in the UK and prior to this had gained significant experience at a leading Italian law firm. He is an important point of contact point for Italian and international clients based in the United States of America and in Italy. In addition to private client matters, Roberto advises his clients on commerce and distribution law.
Words of appreciation
from the people we've worked for
Pro Bono
Roberto Gaglione and his father and brothers are heavily involved in supporting the Italian community present in the UK and provide free legal assistance on Italian law matters at the Italian St. Peter's Chuch in Londonitalianchurch.org.uk
They organise meetings once every fortnight at the St. Peter's Church on Sundays from 12:30. No appointment is needed and people are free to attend any of the scheduled sessions. Please see our newsletter for the dates.
It is also possible to contact St. Peter's Italian Church directly at www.italianchurch.org.uk or: probono@gaglione.it
Gaglione Notaries
LONDON Offices
22 Tudor Street
London - EC4Y 0AY
United Kingdom
BEDFORD Offices
3 Mill Yard Mill Street
Bedford MK40 3HD United Kingdom
Our firm is regulated by the Master of Faculties through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Faculty Office issues practicing certificates to all notaries public in England and Wales and we carry professional indemnity insurance to £1M. The website of the Faculty Office (https://www.facultyoffice.org.uk/) has a list of all practising notaries.
GAGLIONE NOTARIES & SOLICITORS is the trading name of SLIG LAW LLP and its associated entities. Registered office: 22 Tudor Street, London, England, EC4Y 0AY, ICO registration number ZA150930 (“Slig Law”) or its affiliates.
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