Powers of attorney
A power of attorney lets someone you trust act on your behalf at home while you stay in the UK. We draft it, arrange the notarial certification and legalisation, and make sure it is accepted where it is going.
What a power of attorney actually does
A power of attorney is a written authority. It names a person you trust and sets out exactly what they may do for you: no more, no less.
People living in the UK use one because the alternative is a flight home for a single signature. Selling a flat, closing a bank account, dealing with an inheritance, registering a child, representing you before a state authority, handling a court matter: all of these can usually be delegated.
The document is only as good as its wording. An authority drawn too narrowly gets rejected at the counter because it does not cover the exact act needed. Drawn too broadly, it hands over more control than you intended and some registries will refuse it outright. Getting that balance right is most of the work.
Situations that usually call for one
These are the requests we see most often. If yours is not on the list, it does not mean we cannot help - it means it is worth describing.
Property
Selling, buying, renting out or managing a home you own back in your country, including signing before a notary there.
Inheritance
Accepting or renouncing an inheritance, dealing with a notary on an estate, and collecting the resulting documents.
Banking and finance
Opening, operating or closing accounts, dealing with debts, pensions and state payments.
Family matters
Registering or amending civil records, consent for a child to travel, and representation in family proceedings.
State authorities
Obtaining certificates, dealing with tax or pension offices, and collecting documents on your behalf.
Court and legal
Instructing a lawyer at home and authorising them to represent you in proceedings.
How the process runs
The route depends on where the document is going. Most countries that receive these documents are party to the Hague Apostille Convention, which keeps the chain short.
First we establish the purpose. Not the document you think you need, but the act your representative must perform: that determines the wording, and the wording determines whether it will be accepted.
Then the document is drafted with the correct scope, the correct identification of both parties, and any formalities the receiving country expects. You sign it in front of a notary public, who verifies your identity and certifies the signature.
The notarised document is then legalised. For countries in the Hague Convention that means an apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office. For countries outside it, the document goes on to the relevant embassy or consulate for attestation.
Finally, if the receiving authority works in another language, the document is translated and the translation is certified so that it travels as one accepted set.
What we will ask you for
Nothing exotic, but the details have to be exact. A single misspelled name sends the document back.
Your identity document
A valid passport or ID. The notary must see the original, and the details are copied into the document exactly as they appear.
Your representative's details
Full name, date of birth and passport or ID number, spelled exactly as in their own document.
The purpose
What they need to do, and where. If you have a letter or request from the authority or notary at home, send it.
Property or case details
Where relevant: the address, registration number, case reference or account the authority relates to.
Why powers of attorney get rejected
Almost every rejection we see comes down to one of a handful of causes, and all of them are avoidable before the document is signed.
The scope does not cover the act. The representative arrives at the registry and the authority they hold does not mention the specific transaction, so the clerk refuses it. This is the single most common failure, and it is a drafting problem, not a bad-luck problem.
Names do not match. A transliteration that differs from the one in the passport, a missing patronymic, a maiden name in one document and a married name in another. Registries treat these as different people.
The legalisation chain is incomplete. A notarised document without an apostille, or an apostille on the original but not on the translation, when the receiving authority requires both.
It has expired or been superseded. Some authorities will not accept a power of attorney beyond a certain age, and some require confirmation that it has not been revoked.
Frequently asked
Tell us what you need
Describe your situation in your own words. We will tell you which documents are required, how the process runs, and what it costs before anything starts.