Oaths and Certification Solicitors London

Please bring the original document with you. Do not send documents by email in advance.

Your document should be completed before you attend, but do not sign an oath, affidavit or statutory declaration until you are in front of the solicitor. A statutory declaration must be read and signed in the presence of someone authorised to administer oaths.

Please also bring valid photographic identification. We do not provide photocopying services, so bring the original document and any copies that need to be certified.

Appointments are usually brief where the document is ready to sign. NLS will administer the oath or declaration, certify the document or witness the signature as required. We cannot advise on the meaning, effect or suitability of a document during an oaths and certifications appointment.

An oath or affidavit is a formal statement sworn to be true. An affirmation is a non-religious alternative to an oath and has the same legal effect. A statutory declaration is a written statement that a person declares to be true before someone authorised to administer oaths.

NLS can assist with the administration of:

• Oaths and affirmations
• Affidavits
• Statutory declarations
• Declarations of solvency
• Declarations relating to marital status, separation or single-parent status
• Business tenancy statutory declarations
• Other documents that require a solicitor or commissioner for oaths to witness the declaration

Please make sure you have read and understood the document before attending. If you need advice about what a document means, whether it is appropriate for your circumstances or how it should be completed, this will need to be dealt with separately.

You may be asked to provide a certified copy of an original document when dealing with a bank, government department, university, employer, insurer, overseas authority or another professional.

A solicitor can certify a copy by confirming that it is a true copy of the original document they have seen. GOV.UK notes that this can apply to documents such as passports, driving licences, bank statements, council tax bills and letters from a government department, hospital or doctor.

NLS can certify copies of documents including:

• Passports and photocard driving licences
• Proof of address, such as bank statements, credit card statements, utility bills and council tax statements
• Letters from government departments
• Hospital, doctor, university, college and school documents
• Insurance, immigration, pension and financial documents
• Documents required for marriage abroad
• Identification documents for property or conveyancing matters
• Registered lasting powers of attorney, where certification is required

The organisation asking for the document may have its own requirements about wording, identification and who can certify it. Please check these requirements before your appointment.

Some documents must be signed in the presence of an independent witness. This can include deeds, property forms, mortgage documents, transfer documents, settlement agreements and other formal paperwork.

NLS can witness signatures where the document permits a solicitor to act as witness. Bring the complete document with you, together with any identification or supporting paperwork requested by the organisation receiving it.

Do not sign a document in advance if it needs to be signed in the solicitor’s presence.

Property transactions can involve forms and declarations that need to be signed, witnessed or certified correctly. This may include Land Registry identity forms, transfer documents, mortgage deeds, declarations and other property paperwork.

If you are attending with a property-related document, please ensure it is complete and bring any original identification required. The solicitor can deal with the witnessing, oath, declaration or certification required for the document, but cannot provide advice on the transaction itself as part of this appointment.

A power of attorney is a legal document that allows another person to make decisions on your behalf in certain circumstances. Certified copies may be needed so that an attorney can show that they have authority to act.

GOV.UK confirms that a solicitor can certify a copy of a lasting power of attorney. The required wording and signing process can vary depending on whether the document has been registered and the type of copy required.

If your document requires a certificate provider or legal advice about creating a power of attorney, please let us know when requesting your appointment so that NLS can confirm whether a separate service is required.

Before attending, please make sure you have:

• A fully completed document
• Your original document and any copies that need certification
• Valid photographic identification
• Any supporting documents required by the organisation receiving the paperwork
• Details of any specific wording or signing requirements

Please do not sign any document that needs to be sworn, declared or witnessed until you are with the solicitor.