Notary Fees

Notary Matters
In most cases, I am able to offer a fixed fee. The minimum fee would be £75. For complex matters I may need to charge on a time-spent basis at my hourly charge-out rate of £300 per hour.

An estimate of costs can usually be given once I know the nature of the document and to which country it is going. I may ask you to scan and e-mail the document to me in advance so that I am able to give you an accurate quote in more complex matters.

Expenses (also known as disbursements) such as legalisation fees usually need to be paid in advance. You may also be asked to pay money on account of my fees. Payment is accepted in cash, personal Debit Card or by direct bank transfer to my Notary Account.

Apostille and Legalisation Costs
If your document requires an Apostille, then I can deal with this for you should you wish. This requires me to send the document to the Legalisation Office of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Milton Keynes. Their fee for this is currently £30 per document plus £5.50 for return postage. I can use an agent to deal with legalisation if the matter is urgent and there is an additional fee for this service. You can always deal with this yourself if you prefer. Business users may use the Legalisation Office in London.

If the destination country is not a party to the Hague Convention then the document may need to be sent to the relevant country’s embassy for legalisation. The cost can vary between embassies and from time to time and I shall be able to advise you of the current costs once I know where the document is going.

Wills
The cost of a simple Will is usually £175 and the cost of simple mirror wills for a couple is usually £300.

If you require a more complicated Will then I will be more than happy to give you a quote for this by e-mail or by telephone. A more complex Will could involve a trust (such as a life interest trust to protect property against nursing home costs) or inheritance tax planning advice.

If you would like a home visit, then there will be a small additional charge for travel expenses.

LPAs
A Lasting power of Attorney is usually £300. If you require the Power to be registered by the Court and ready for use if necessary, then there is an additional fee of £100 plus a Court fee of £82. You may be exempt from the Court fee if you are on means tested benefits or you may qualify for a reduction of 50% on the court fee if your gross annual income is less than £12,000. I can discuss this in more detail with you to see whether you would qualify for a full or part-exemption from the Court fee..


Deputyship Applications
Fees for Deputyship Applications are fixed by the Court of Protection. I am able to provide this service for less than the fee fixed by the Court. There is also a Court fee and you may be exempt from this if the person for whom you are applying to act as a Deputy receives means tested benefits, or they may qualify for a reduction of the court fee. I will be more than happy to discuss costs with you once I am able to ascertain how much work will be required to deal with the application for you.

VAT
There is no charge to VAT.

Joanne Orbell Notary Public