Terms of Business

LEGAL ENTITY

Richard Jones Notary is a trading name of RICHARD JONES NOTARY LIMITED, a private company limited by shares, under company number 11536324.

MY FEES

My hourly rate is £180 and my minimum fee is £75. I reserve the right to vary my rates in respect of extremely urgent work or in respect of work undertaken during the evening or at the weekend.

TIME CHARGE

My charges include all the work I undertake in assisting you from start to finish, including taking preliminary details and offering initial advice, preparation, attendances, drafting, phone calls, correspondence, copying documents and the completion of my register and protocol. Much of the work I do goes on behind the scenes. For example, I need to check the document presented by you, consider any accompanying instructions, attend to any amendments or complete any blanks in the document, bind the document securely and deal with any special requirements or formalities of the foreign country.

FIXED FEES

I will endeavour to agree a fixed fee with you prior to your appointment with me. However, if at your appointment, the transaction proves to be more complicated or there are more documents or people involved than you had previously indicated or if legalisation formalities are involved, I reserve the right to re-negotiate my fee or agree to charge you at my hourly rate.

PAYMENT ON ACCOUNT

In complex or unusual cases, I may require a payment on account of fees, in a sum which I will agree with you.

V.A.T

I am not registered for VAT. However, you will be required to pay VAT on any disbursements I incur on your behalf.

DISBURSEMENTS

You are responsible for all payments which I may be required make on your behalf. Typical examples include legalisation fees paid to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and/or an Embassy, legalisation agents’ fees, translator’s fees Companies Registry fees, courier’s fees and special postage charges. I will not incur these expenses without first obtaining your express consent to do so.

PAYMENT

My charges are payable once I have notarised the document for you. I am happy to accept payment by bank transfer or cash. I do not accept payment by cheque. I reserve the right not to release documents until payment has been received. Interest will be chargeable from the date of the invoice on invoices outstanding for more than seven days at 4% per annum above the Base Rate from time to time in force of Barclays Bank Plc.

TERMINATION

You may terminate instructions in writing at any time. In the event of payment not being made for an invoice, or in the event of your insolvency or if a conflict of interest becomes apparent or if you fail to provide proper instructions, I may decline to act any further on your behalf.

I may exercise any lien which arises on any of your papers, documents or money in my possession until payment for any outstanding charges has been made.

YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS

It is not my responsibility to offer you legal advice concerning the document you produce to me. My role is to properly identify you and to be satisfied that you understand the contents of the document and that you intend to be bound by it. You are strongly advised to seek the advice of your own independent legal or other competent professional adviser who practises in, or who is skilled in the law of the jurisdiction where the document will be sent and relied upon.

MY RESPONSIBILITIES

I have to be satisfied as to your identity, your legal capacity, your authority and your understanding and approval of the document which requires notarisation. I shall try to ensure that the document, in the manner of its execution, its form and substance will achieve its purpose for you. I must be satisfied that it is your voluntary act and that no fraud, violence or duress is involved and that other stipulated formalities either under English or foreign law are observed. If I am not satisfied about any one of these things I will not be able to assist you.

FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AND/OR CONSULAR LEGALISATION

Some foreign countries require a document to be legalised. This the process by which a state agency confirms that my seal and signature are those of a Notary. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will attach an apostille to the document which I have notarised on your behalf.

Sometimes, the document will then also have to be sent to the London Embassy of the country where the document will be relied upon The Embassy will then attach its own certificate to the document. Your lawyer in the foreign jurisdiction will probably advise you of any need for legalisation. If not, you should ask him/her about it. I shall be able to obtain the necessary legalisation for you and will discuss with you all time scales involved.

REGISTER & PROTOCOL

At the end of the transaction, I am required to make an entry of the main details in my register and to retain copies of the notarised document and proof of your ID in my protocol.

MY LIABILITY TO YOU

I carry professional indemnity liability cover of £1 million. I limit the level of my liability to you to £1 million, unless you are injured or die as a consequence of my negligence, in which case my liability is without limit.

RELEVANT LAW

The law which governs this contract is English Law and any dispute relating to Notarial services provided by me must be resolved by the English Courts.