Leasehold Property law. Personally delivered.
Leasehold Property law. Personally delivered.
Certified copies, statutory declarations, affidavits and Land Registry identity forms — witnessed and certified by a solicitor at our Raynes Park offices. Most appointments take a few minutes, and same-day slots are usually available.
Drop-in and same-day appointments · From £10 per document · Two minutes from Raynes Park station · Regulated by the SRA
A great many everyday transactions require a document to be certified, sworn or witnessed by a solicitor. Every solicitor holding a practising certificate is a commissioner for oaths, and we offer this as a straightforward drop-in and appointment service at our Raynes Park offices in south-west London.
You do not need to be an existing client, and the matter does not need to have anything to do with property. Most of these appointments take a few minutes.
A certified copy is a photocopy of an original that a solicitor has seen and certified as a true copy. Banks, lenders, HM Revenue & Customs, HM Land Registry, pension providers, universities, professional bodies, embassies and overseas authorities all commonly require them — for passports and driving licences, bank statements and utility bills, birth, marriage and death certificates, degree and professional certificates, and company documents.
A statutory declaration is a formal written statement of fact, made before a solicitor. An affidavit is the equivalent sworn for use in court proceedings, and an affirmation is available to anybody who would prefer not to swear an oath. We administer all three.
Where somebody is dealing with registered land without a conveyancer acting for them, HM Land Registry requires evidence of identity on its own form — form ID1 for an individual and form ID2 for a company. The form must be completed by a conveyancer who has met you in person and inspected your original identity documents, which is exactly what this appointment is for.
Deeds, transfers, powers of attorney, mortgage documents and declarations frequently require an independent witness, and in some cases specifically a solicitor. We witness signatures and, where required, add our certificate.
The range is wider than most people expect, and the great majority has nothing to do with litigation.
A form ID1 or ID2, completed in person with original identity documents.
Identity forms, a witnessed transfer, sometimes a declaration of trust.
Certified copies of identity and address documents.
A statutory declaration as to the facts, and certified certificates.
A statutory declaration, and certified copies of identity documents.
Certified copies of passports, certificates and supporting documents.
Certified corporate documents, or a declaration of solvency.
A sworn affidavit or affirmation, with exhibits.
If what has been asked of you is not on this list, telephone and describe it. It is a short conversation and far better than travelling here with the wrong document.
Administering an oath is not the same as advising on what the document says. Unless you instruct us separately, our role is to satisfy ourselves as to your identity and to administer the oath or certify the copy — not to advise on whether the contents are correct or complete.
A false statutory declaration is a criminal offence, so be sure of the contents before you swear it. If you would like us to review what you are signing, say so when you book and we will quote separately.
A solicitor also may not administer an oath in a matter in which the firm acts for a party, so tell us who is involved when you telephone.
Many foreign authorities require a notary public rather than a solicitor. Notaries are a separate legal profession whose certification is recognised internationally, and a solicitor’s certificate will not always be accepted in its place.
Some then require an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which is a further step again.
We will tell you if that is likely, but the receiving body is the only reliable source. A five-minute email to them before you book can save a wasted appointment and a wasted fee.
Most appointments take between five and fifteen minutes, and same-day appointments are usually available where something is urgent.
What to bring. The document itself, in original form — for a certified copy, bring the original and we will take the copy. Photographic identification, a passport or driving licence, together with a recent utility bill or bank statement. And anything the receiving body has sent you, including its own form or required wording: some organisations insist on a particular form of certificate, and it is much quicker if we can see it.
Please do not sign in advance. Where a signature must be witnessed, or a declaration sworn, it has to happen in front of us. A document signed beforehand cannot be witnessed retrospectively and will have to be re-executed, which wastes the appointment.
We are at 15 Approach Road in Raynes Park, south-west London, on the Merton and Wimbledon border.
Raynes Park station is a two-minute walk, with frequent services to Waterloo, Wimbledon and the Surrey lines.
Several routes serve Raynes Park, stopping a short walk away.
On-street parking is available nearby on a pay and display basis.
Convenient for Wimbledon, Merton Park, New Malden, Motspur Park, Kingston, Morden and the surrounding areas of south-west London.
Fixed and confirmed before you attend, so there is nothing to work out on arrival.
Why the identity form costs more. A form ID1 or ID2 is not a rubber stamp. It requires us to verify your identity in person against original documents and to certify that verification to HM Land Registry, which relies on it to register a change of ownership. The responsibility, and the file we have to keep, are of a different order from a certified photocopy.
We will confirm the exact cost, including any VAT, when you telephone. Fees shown are starting prices for straightforward documents.
Not necessarily — this is a drop-in service and we will usually see you. Telephoning first is worth a minute of your time, because we can confirm we have a solicitor free, tell you exactly what to bring and quote the fee.
No. Anybody can use this service and the matter does not need to have anything to do with property.
Usually, yes. Same-day appointments are available for urgent requirements — telephone and tell us the deadline.
Witnessing from £10 per document, certification of a copy from £20, and a Land Registry identity form from £100. The fee for administering an oath or statutory declaration is fixed by statute, with a small additional charge per exhibit. We confirm the exact cost before you attend.
HM Land Registry’s evidence of identity form for a private individual dealing with registered land without a conveyancer acting — transferring a property to a relative, removing a name from a title, or dealing with an estate. Form ID2 is the equivalent for a company. Both must be completed in person.
The original document, photographic identification such as a passport or driving licence, a recent utility bill or bank statement, and anything the receiving body has sent you — particularly if it requires a specific form of wording.
Please do not. Where a signature must be witnessed or a declaration sworn, it has to happen in front of us. A document signed in advance cannot be witnessed retrospectively and will need re-executing.
Not always. Many foreign authorities require a notary public rather than a solicitor, and some then require an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Check with the receiving body before booking — they are the only reliable source.
Not as part of this service. Our role is to verify your identity and administer the oath or certify the copy. A false statutory declaration is a criminal offence, so be sure of the contents before you swear it — and if you would like the document reviewed, ask and we will quote separately.
15 Approach Road, Raynes Park, London SW20 8BA — a two-minute walk from Raynes Park station, with several bus routes nearby and pay and display parking on the street. Convenient for Wimbledon, Merton, New Malden, Motspur Park and Kingston.
Describe what has been asked of you and we will tell you what to bring — usually your ID and the document itself — what it will cost and when we can see you, usually the same day. If it turns out you need a notary rather than a solicitor, or that you do not need us at all, we will say so.
