British citizens living in the UK

If you are a British citizen living within the UK then you generally do not need a solicitor or a notary public to witness your signing of the Deed Poll document, i.e. your execution of your Deed Poll documents.

 

Who can be a Witness?

In order to validly execute, i.e. sign, your Deed Poll documents you need a witness to your execution, signing, of the Deed Poll documents. The legal criteria for anyone to be a witness is that they must meet the following criteria below. The witness should:

  • be over 18 years old
  • have a different address of residence
  • be independent, that is not be a family member
  • be able to speak, read and understand English
  • be of sane mind and capable of comprehension
  • If you are executing a Deed Poll within the UK:
    • be a British citizen
    • resident within the UK

 The witnessed does not need to be a professional person such as a doctor or a  solicitor but can be any that knows such as a friend, a work colleague or a neighbour.

Prices and Service

 

Non British Citizen living in the UK

You do not need a solicitor or notary public to witness you signature on the Deed Poll document if you intend to change any records held within the UK by UK authorities, or bodies.

For documents held by, or issued by, a foreign country, you may need your signature on the Deed Poll document to be witnessed by a solicitor or notary public. You should check with your country’s embassy or consular section to ask what they require and who needs to be the witness.  If the Deed Poll document needs to be legalised by an apostil, for example to be used abroad, you will need the signature to be witnessed by a UK solicitor or notary public and then for that document to be legalised.

 

British citizen not living in the UK

If you need any documents changing within the UK, held by or issued by any UK authorities or bodies, then you do not need a solicitor or notary public to witness your signature on the Deed Poll document.  If any documents you need changing are held by or issued by a foreign country then you will need a solicitor or lawyer, notary public, or a British Embassy official to witness the signature on your Deed Poll document.

 

What do Solicitors and Notary public charge for being a witness

If you need a solicitor or notary public to witness the signing of your Deed Poll document, you will need to ask them their rates for doing so.  Most will be quite happy to the signing for around £10 to £15.  They do charge signifcantly more if they issue the documentation to change your name!