The minimum charge for dealing with a single document is normally £90 plus VAT (£108 total) for personal documents and £180 plus VAT (£216 total) for business documents. Additional documents (for example, certified copies of your passport) are typically charged at £45 plus VAT (£54 total) per personal document and £80 plus VAT (£96 total) per business document. If there are additional signatories, we charge an additional £45 plus VAT (£54 total) per person and £90 plus VAT (£108 total) for an additional business signatory.
If it is a simple matter of witnessing a document, we will usually charge a fixed fee. If there are complications or attachments or if we are required to draft a document or obtain legalisation, there will be additional charges. These may include telephone calls made or received, letters or emails sent or received, time spent in meetings, on drafting and on preparing the necessary entries in the notarial register where applicable. Our current hourly rate is £350 plus VAT (£420 total).
We charge £60 plus VAT (£72 total) for obtaining apostilles by post (which can take up to 20 business days).
Once we have seen any documents and any instructions sent to you about the document, we may be able to give you a firm indication or estimate of the likely charges.
Special factors which might result in an increase of the charge include complexity or novelty, the number of or importance of the documents, whether or not the work has to be done away from this office and special urgency which may require us to drop other work to deal with yours or if the work unavoidably has to be dealt with outside office hours.
Legalisation fees may have to be paid to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and/or a foreign embassy. There may be translator or interpreter fees. Other payments may be required including administration, legalisation agent’s fees and travelling expenses. Your approval to these will be obtained and you are normally required to make payments in advance of any such amounts. The Foreign Office charges £45 for apostilles obtained by post, plus courier and postage fees.