Legal Document Certification and Witnessing

If you have been asked to visit a Winsford or Northwich Solicitor in order to provide a copy of a document or to have a signature witnessed then Stonehewer Moss, Winsford and Northwich Solicitors, can help. There are several different types of service we offer depending on what confirmation is required by the organisation requesting the document.

Certified Copies

There are numerous personal and business reasons for obtaining a certified copy of a document. For example, when applying for a loan or mortgage you might need copies of utility bill to be certified to prove your address. The same might apply to your passport or driving licence if you need to prove your identity.

Statutory Declaration

When is a statutory declaration necessary? A statutory declaration is a formal statement made in a prescribed manner, affirming the truth of a matter to the best knowledge of the declarant—the individual making the declaration. The declaration must be signed in the presence of a solicitor, commissioner for oaths, or notary public. Its purpose is to satisfy a legal requirement or regulation, especially when no alternative evidence is available.

For example, individuals often use a statutory declaration to legally change their name. In this case, they declare the renunciation of their old name and adoption of a new one in a document witnessed by a solicitor. Financial institutions commonly utilize statutory declarations to transfer funds to individuals legally entitled to manage the estate of a deceased person, such as executors named in a will.

The Statutory Declarations Act 1835 governs statutory declarations, mandating specific wording. All statutory declarations must include the following text: “I (name) do solemnly and sincerely declare, that/as follows… and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835.”

As accuracy and truthfulness are paramount, a solicitor other than the one handling your legal matters typically handles the statutory declaration. This ensures impartiality, and a solicitor acting on your behalf cannot certify the declaration.

Statutory declarations find application in various scenarios, including:

Declarations of identity, nationality, marital status, etc., when documentary evidence is unavailable.

1. Affirming the origin and nature of goods for export or import.
2. Making declaration statements about the originality of an item during a patent application.
3. Company directors declaring solvency when voluntarily liquidating a company.

Lasting Power of Attorney Copy Certification

A copy of a Lasting Power of Attorney will need to be certified in most cases to prove that is a complete copy of an original. The wording for such certifications is precise being,

 “I certify this is a true and complete copy of the corresponding page of the original lasting power of attorney”

and as such it is easy to get it wrong. Also, each and every page needs to certified and Lasting Powers of Attorney run into many pages. We will need to see proof of your identity.

Land Registry ID1 confirmation

An ID1 form certifies your identity. It is typically needed during property transactions to protect against identity fraud. If you have instructed a legal professional to help you with the conveyancing process, or other property-related matter, they may ask you to attend a solicitor to have an ID1 certified and at Stonehewer Moss, Winsford and Northwich Solicitors, we can help you with this.

Lasting Power of Attorney Certificate Provider

What is a certificate provider in an LPA

The Certificate provider of your Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is an independent person who will confirm (‘certify’) that you are making the LPA of your own free will, without pressure (‘duress’), that you understand the implication of what you are doing, and that you have mental capacity to do so. As legal professionals we can provide the proper advice and act of your LPA Certificate Provider and help avoid any future challenges to your LPA. 

Our Fees for Legal Document Certification and Witnessing

All prices are plus VAT at the current rate.

If you need a Winsford or Northwich Solicitor to make an appointment to have a document certified or witnessed please call 01606 87 22 00 or send a message to us at info@stonehewermoss.co.uk