Solicitor Meaning
A solicitor is a lawyer in Britain who is trained to prepare cases, give advice on legal subjects, and represent people in lower courts. The role of a certified solicitor is not limited to dealing with legal matters and preparing legal documents; it also deals with issues related to the sale of land or buildings. In some jurisdictions, persons with defined qualifications can serve as solicitors and practise law. A solicitor is a professional person who certifies a document as a true copy and signs the document along with a date. Before the solicitor verification, the Solicitor may ask you to provide relevant documents to be certified as true copies of the original in cases like a mortgage or a bank account.
Solicitor Certificate
A Solicitor Certificate confirms that a borrower or a guarantor has received independent legal advice and understands the risks and liabilities of signing security documents. A solicitor certificate must verify the client’s identity in person and review all relevant documents before advising the client on the papers. Before approaching a solicitor, it is desirable to check whether somebody is a solicitor and find out where they work through a solicitor checker (register).
Solicitor certification of documents
Generally, the Solicitor certifies copies of the following documents:
- Passports
- Photo card driving licenses
- Letters from a government department
- Bank, building society or credit statements
- Gas, electricity or council tax bills
- Letters from a hospital or a doctor.
The key services for international document legalization are:
- Attestation: Attestation is a process that confirms a document’s authenticity by a designated authority. This process often involves multiple steps, from local authorities to higher authorities.
- Apostille: This is a streamlined form of document authentication recognized by the countries that are part of the Hague Convention of 1961. An apostille is a sticker stamp issued by the legal authorities of the home country for the documents.
- Notarization: For private documents, the first step is to notarize an individual’s signature on the document.
How can a document be certified by the Solicitor?
To get a document certified, there are some procedures a certified solicitor adheres to when certifying documents for apostille purposes. They are as listed under:
- Possess a valid practising certificate with a solicitors ID for verification.
- Sign the document in the UK
- Indicate the action of the progress
- Use one’s signature and not the company’s signature
- Indicate the certification date
- Mention the names as well as address of the company
- Ensure that the signature is in original ink. You are not advised to use a copy or digital signatures.
Where can a Solicitor certify documents?
A solicitor can certify documents such as:
- ID documents, driving licenses, passports, etc.
- All educational documents
- Birth, marriage and death certificates
- Court letters, hospital letters and government letters
- Bank statements and utility bills
- Business and personal documents
- Translated documents and many more.
Typically, a document will be the original or a copy. For signature witnessing, the certified Solicitor will indicate ‘witnessed by’ or signed in my presence to confirm they have seen the document.
Why is the Solicitor Document Certification Necessary?
The document certification by the Solicitor serves the following purposes regarding legalizing documents with a UK apostille certificate.
- Validity & Authentication: The certification testifies to authenticating the document to indicate that it is not a forgery or was indeed issued by the source mentioned. This fact is very important in legal and financial matters.
- To Prevent Fraud and Misuse: Certified documents help prevent fraud and misuse, guaranteeing that only authentic documents are used in legal proceedings, financial transactions, etc.
- Legal Requirements: In the UK, certain documents are certified by a solicitor before they are legalized with an apostille.
- International Recognition: After the certification of documents by the Solicitor, it is often necessary to apostille a certificate used to legalize documents for international use by terms of the 1961 Hague apostille Convention. The document is then recognized by all countries signing the Convention.
How can the Helpline Group in the UK help?
Helpline Group in the UK offers professional assistance to obtain the services of a UK solicitor to certify documents for various purposes. With experience of more than 25 years, 300+ experts and spread globally, the Helpline Group in the UK will provide key services for international document legalization.