Terms

INTRODUCTION

1. This document outlines the terms and conditions under which I, VIRGILIU-SORIN MUFLIC (the “Notary”), Notary Public in England and Wales, having my practice regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury and offering notarial services through MUFLIC NOTARIES LIMITED (the “Company”), a private company limited by shares registered under the Companies Act 2006 by the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales with company number 15876436 and with registered office at 6th Floor, City Gate East, Tollhouse Hill, Nottingham, NG1 5FS, England, trading as “Mr Notary” and “Notariat.UK”, will provide notarial services to you, as a Client.
2. By instructing me, the Notary, to carry out notarial work, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, and you acknowledge and accept that you, the Client, do not enter into a contractual relationship with me personally, as a Notary, but with my Company. All services provided to you are offered through the Company. Any and all agreements, obligations, and liabilities arising from the provision of notarial services shall be solely between you, the Client and the Company.

SCOPE OF NOTARIAL SERVICES

3. As a Notary Public, I prepare, verify, witness, and certify documents primarily intended for use outside England and Wales. While my work is predominantly international, I also provide services for documents required within the domestic jurisdiction. Most commonly, notarial acts are required to prove specific facts to foreign authorities, courts, financial institutions, or legal practitioners. Typical instructions include:
   • Private Clients:Assisting with international property transactions, foreign marriages or divorces, emigration for work or study, inheritance matters, and parental consent for cross-border travel with minors.
   • Corporate Clients:Authenticating company constitution documents, certificates of incorporation, and powers of attorney for businesses expanding or operating globally.
   • General Acts:Administering oaths and affidavits for foreign proceedings, certifying copies of identity documents or academic qualifications, and witnessing the execution of various legal instruments.

THE NOTARY’S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

4. Regardless of the document type, my primary duty is to verify your identity, legal capacity, and your understanding of the document. I must also ensure your willingness to be bound by its terms and, where applicable, confirm your authority to sign on behalf of a third party or corporation. Once satisfied, I will witness your signature and affix my personal notarial seal and signature.
5. If required, I can also facilitate legalisation. This typically involves obtaining an Apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or, where necessary, further authentication from the relevant consular or diplomatic mission.

• When I am instructed to handle legalisation, please note that the Apostille is issued by the FCDO and not by me.
• Standard Service: Under the standard (non-urgent) procedure, the FCDO typically affixes the Apostille within five working days, but this is not guaranteed. I have no control over their internal processing times, which are calculated from the date the FCDO receives the documents.
• Delivery and Couriers: The FCDO currently utilises DX as their courier for returning legalised documents. I cannot be held responsible for any delays caused by the courier service or the FCDO’s internal dispatch procedures. You should not rely on a fixed delivery date for your documents following legalisation.
• Next-Day (Fast-Track) Service: For urgent matters, a “fast-track” service is available through a legalisation agent, where the FCDO generally releases the legalised documents the day after their submission. However, even with this service, delays may occasionally occur due to issues beyond my control, such as technical disruptions at the FCDO, the operational capacity of the legalisation agent, or delivery delays by Royal Mail or other courier services.
• Accordingly, I cannot guarantee specific completion dates for legalisation, as these are dependent on third-party performance.

LEGAL ADVICE AND FOREIGN LAW

6. Please note that my role is limited to the act of notarisation; I do not provide legal advice regarding the laws or requirements of foreign jurisdictions.
7. It is essential that you seek qualified legal counsel in the country where the document is to be used. Only a practitioner in that jurisdiction can guarantee that a document will be accepted and achieve its intended legal effect. I do not possess professional expertise in foreign law and cannot provide such guarantees.
8. Consequently, I strongly recommend that you provide me with a draft of the document and specific instructions prepared by your foreign legal advisor. I will then perform the notarisation in accordance with those instructions while ensuring that the formalities required under English law for a valid notarial act are met.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

9. Should you request that I draft the document myself, you acknowledge and accept the risk that it may not be effective in the target jurisdiction. In such instances, you agree that no cause of action for damages or compensation shall lie against me or my firm regarding the document’s legal efficacy abroad.

YOUR OBLIGATIONS AS A CLIENT

10. Accuracy of Information. You must provide accurate and complete information. Notarial acts are relied upon worldwide by governments, courts, and financial institutions. The provision of inaccurate facts can have serious legal consequences. By instructing me, you acknowledge the importance of full disclosure to ensure the integrity of the authenticated document.
11. Preliminary Documentation and Privacy. Prior to our appointment, you must email me the following:

• A draft of the document to be notarised and any instructions from your foreign lawyer or from the foreign authority you are dealing with.
• Clear copies of your identity documents and those of any other parties mentioned in the document.
• Third-Party Consent: In accordance with my Privacy Policy, it is your responsibility to obtain consent from any third parties before disclosing their identity documents to me.

I will review these materials and advise if further information is required. I reserve the right to decline instructions based on this review. Once accepted, I will provide a quote for my fees and any associated disbursements.

12. Payment and Scheduling. Appointments are only confirmed upon receipt of full payment. Following agreement on fees, I will issue an invoice payable by bank transfer. I will not schedule an appointment until payment has been received in full. Once cleared, we will agree upon a mutually convenient date, time, and location for the meeting. In specific instances where I have expressly confirmed this in writing, payment may be made at the time of the appointment. This will be clearly stated in your appointment confirmation email where applicable.
13. Attendance and Punctuality. Please arrive punctually. My schedule often involves back-to-back appointments, and delays may reduce the time allocated to your matter.

• Late Arrival: If you are late, I cannot guarantee that the notarisation can proceed that day. In such cases, my obligation to provide the service at that time ceases, and no refund will be issued.
• Rescheduling: While I will make reasonable efforts to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible, this is subject to my availability and may incur additional costs.

14. Identity Verification. At the appointment, you must produce original, valid identification (e.g., Passport, National ID Card, or photocard Driving Licence) and proof of address dated within the last three months (e.g., utility bill, bank statement, or council tax bill). You must also bring any other original documents specifically requested during our preliminary correspondence. Failure to produce these original documents may result in the cancellation of the appointment without a refund.
15. Disclosure and Right to Decline. If, during our meeting, new information comes to light that was not previously disclosed, I may require further explanations or documentation. I reserve the right to:

• Postpone the service until the required information is provided; or
• Decline to act entirely.
• In these circumstances, the provisions regarding refunds and rescheduling (as set out above) apply. If I refuse to act, I may, at my discretion, offer a partial refund proportionate to the time already spent on your matter. No refund will be issued if I have reason to suspect fraudulent activity.

16. Execution of Documents. I must witness your signature (and those of any other signatories) in person. Please do not sign the document before our appointment.
17. Language and Translation. It is essential that you fully understand the document you are signing.

• Foreign Languages: If the document is in a language you do not sufficiently understand, I may require a professional translation.
• Translation Requirements: If you provide your own translation, it must be prepared by a professional translator and include their name, qualifications, and a certificate stating: “This is a true and complete translation of [Document X], to which this translation is attached.”
• Interpreters: If a language barrier exists between us, a competent interpreter must attend the interview. Any costs associated with translation or interpretation are the responsibility of the client.

18. Corporate and Representative Capacity. If you are signing on behalf of a company, partnership, charity, or other body, I require evidence of your authority to bind that entity. Please provide:

• A Letter of Authority, Minute, Resolution, or Power of Attorney.
• Current company letterhead (showing the registered office).
• For Companies: A Certificate of Incorporation (including any change of name), the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and details of current directors/secretaries. I will conduct independent company searches, which may be reflected in my final fee.
• For Partnerships/Clubs: A Partnership Agreement, Trust Deed, Charter, or Constitution/Rules.

NOTARIAL FEES AND ASSOCIATED COSTS

19. Calculation of Fees. My fees are transparently set out on this page of this website. I operate on the following basis:

• Fixed Fees: For straightforward matters, I endeavour to charge a fixed fee. This may include both my professional fee and anticipated disbursements.
• Hourly Rate: For complex or time-consuming matters, my fee is based on an hourly rate of £150, subject to a minimum charge of £150 per matter, plus disbursements.
• Scope of Work: The fee charged covers time spent on preliminary advice, drafting, telephone consultations, correspondence (in all formats), arranging legalisation, and statutory record-keeping.
• VAT: Please note that no VAT is currently charged on my services.

20. Disbursements, Recharges and Third-Party Costs. Disbursements are costs paid to third parties on your behalf. These may include legalisation fees, postage, courier charges, translator/interpreter fees, agents’ fees, etc.

• Approval and Prepayment: I will obtain your approval for all disbursements before they are incurred. You are required to pay these amounts in full and in advance.
• Legalisation (Apostille): Many documents require an Apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to be valid abroad. Some jurisdictions require further “consular legalisation” via their respective embassies or consulates. The cost of legalisation communicated to you will include the FCDO’s fee, postage, and any legalisation agent’s fees.
• Travel Expenses: If a meeting is required outside of my office, travel fees will be calculated based on the location and time involved.

21. Payment Schedule and Methods. Payment must be made by bank transfer to the account details specified on my invoice. The timing of payment is a condition of service as follows:

• Standard Requirement: My professional fees and all associated disbursements must be paid in full before an appointment is scheduled.
• Exceptions: In specific instances where I have expressly confirmed this in writing, payment may be made at the time of the appointment. This will be clearly stated in your appointment confirmation email where applicable.
• Right of Lien: In the exceptional event that an appointment is held or a document prepared prior to payment, the full balance is due immediately upon notarisation. I reserve the right to retain all documents and withhold the completed notarial act until payment is received in full.

22. Revisions to Estimates. Occasionally, unforeseen or unusual issues may arise that require a revision of the initial fee estimate. These may include:

• Requests for additional documents to be notarised.
• New requirements for translations or legalisations specified by the receiving jurisdiction.
• Changes to third-party charges (e.g., FCDO fee increases or adjusted postage or courier costs).

I will notify you of any necessary changes to the fee estimate as soon as they become apparent.

TYPICAL STAGES OF A NOTARIAL TRANSACTION

23. Each notarial matter is unique. Requirements and timescales vary significantly depending on whether you are a private individual or a corporate entity, and are often dictated by the processing times of third parties such as the Legalisation Office, consular missions, translation agencies, and couriers.
24. While every case is different, the key stages of a typical transaction include:

• Initial Review: Receiving and reviewing the documents to be notarised alongside any specific instructions provided by your foreign legal advisors.
• Due Diligence: Liaising with your advisors or external bodies (such as Companies House or foreign registries) to obtain the necessary supporting documentation, such as Powers of Attorney or corporate filings.
• Verification of Capacity: Verifying your identity, legal capacity, and authority to act – as well as the identity of any other signatories.
• Authentication of Credentials: Where a document or award is to be certified, I must verify its authenticity with the issuing authority. For academic qualifications, this involves direct confirmation from the relevant institution.
• Execution (The Appointment): Meeting with you to verify your identity, ensuring you understand the document and are signing of your own free will, and overseeing the correct execution of the instrument.
• Notarial Certification: Drafting and affixing (or endorsing) a formal Notarial Certificate to the document, complete with my signature and official seal.
• Legalisation: Facilitating the legalisation of the document (Apostille or Consular legalisation) where required by the receiving jurisdiction.
• Record Keeping: Arranging for the secure storage of copies of all notarised documents and identification records in strict accordance with the Notaries Practice Rules 2019.

INSURANCE AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

25. In the interests of my clients, I maintain professional indemnity insurance at a level of £1,000,000.00 per claim. Specific cover for higher limits may be obtainable in certain circumstances at your expense. Save as provided under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, my liability to you, the Client, for any loss, injury or damage of any nature whatever whether direct or consequential, including without limitation in respect of negligence or breach of my duty to you, is hereby limited to such sum in respect of any one claim or a series of related claims. The amount of any liability is to be reduced so far as may be appropriate to take account of the degree of responsibility of any other professional or other advisers whom you have consulted in relation to the matter as if I had successfully claimed contribution from them under the Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978 taking no regard for any limitation agreed between you and such advisor, and they had the resources to meet the same, provided that I shall not be obliged to make or pursue any such claim for contribution. No liability whatsoever will be accepted in relation to any loss, damage or liability whatsoever caused directly or indirectly to any party other than you for whom I have agreed to act in connection with the relevant matter. No third party shall have any right to enforce any contract by me to provide advice or services or to rely upon any advice given or opinion expressed by me. The application of any legislation conferring on third parties contractual or other rights, including the Contract (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999, shall be excluded insofar as permitted by law. In any event, no liability whatsoever will be accepted where such liability either arises from any instructions or information given by you or by any third party being incomplete, inaccurate or incorrect; or where such liability is for any indirect, economic or consequential loss or damage, costs, expenses or other claims for consequential compensation whatsoever or howsoever caused which arise out of or in connection with the services provided by me, or for loss of profit, loss of business, loss of data, depletion of goodwill or loss occurring in the normal course of business or otherwise. All searches of the Register of Companies carried out by me are made using the Registrar of Companies online service. To the extent that the Registrar does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions arising from use of the online service, I accept no responsibility or liability arising from reliance upon the results of such searches, if they should subsequently be found to be inaccurate or incomplete. These limitations will apply notwithstanding any express or implied term of business or any collateral agreement or warranty, whether express or implied. These terms of business and any disputes or claims arising out of or in connection with them and the provision of services to you are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

NOTARIAL RECORDS

26. Professional Duty to Record. In accordance with my professional duties, I maintain a comprehensive and permanent record of all notarial acts. This register is an essential requirement of my office and provides an official audit trail of the transaction. The records identify:

• The date and nature of the notarial act.
• The person at whose request the act was performed.
• The person or persons, if any, intervening in the act and, in the case of a person who intervened in a representative capacity, the name of his principal.
• The method of identification of the party or parties intervening in the notarial act, and in the case of a party intervening in a representative capacity, any evidence produced to the notary of that party’s entitlement so to intervene.
• The nature of the act.
• The fee charged.

27. Digital Register and Retention. I maintain a digital register of all notarial acts. Regardless of the form the act takes, I will preserve a complete digital record permanently. This record includes photographic copies of:

• The completed notarial act or certificate.
• The documents being notarised.
• All identification documents and supporting evidence produced to me.
• All formal written correspondence related to the matter.

By instructing me, you acknowledge that this data must be retained permanently as part of the public record of my notarial office, notwithstanding any general rights to erasure under data protection legislation.

DATA PROTECTION

28. Personal data received from my clients is held securely and cannot be accessed externally. Data collected as part of notarial records is used solely for the purposes of meeting my professional legal responsibilities as Notary Public. For full details of my Privacy Policy and data processing terms please read the attached document named “Data Protection Privacy Notice” or click hereto be redirected at the relevant page on my website.

USE OF TECHNOLOGY, DEVICES AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

29. In the course of providing notarial services, I do not currently use automated decision-making technology, including artificial intelligence. If I decide to do so in the future, I will not rely on such technology without human intervention. Before using any new technology, including artificial intelligence, I carry out an appropriate risk assessment to ensure that your rights are not adversely affected.
30. Communication and Third-Party Infrastructure. I primarily use Google Workspace for business communications and document management. You acknowledge that Google’s systems may use automated processing to scan or summarise email content for functionality such as search, spam filtering, and administrative summaries. While I ensure that my account settings are configured to maximise security and privacy, I cannot guarantee that these third-party automated processes will not occur. By communicating with me via email, you consent to the use of these platforms for the delivery of my services.

TERMINATION. YOUR RIGHT TO CANCEL

31. You may terminate your instructions to me at any time by giving me reasonable written notice. All fees and disbursements incurred up to the date of termination will be charged.
32. We entered into a “distance contract” if you are a “consumer” (an individual acting for purposes which are wholly or mainly outside your trade, business, craft or profession), and the contract was concluded without our simultaneous physical presence, with the exclusive use of means of distance communication. We entered into an “off-premises contract” if you are a “consumer” as defined above, and the contract was concluded in our simultaneous physical presence, but in a place which is not my office. If we entered into a distance or off-premises contract, under section 29 of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, you have a right to cancel this contract at any time in the cancellation period without giving any reason and without incurring any liability, except where you request early supply of service. The cancellation period ends at the end of 14 days after the day on which the contract is entered into (which is the day when I sent the invoice to you, meaning that I accepted to act).
33. To exercise your right to cancel the contract, you must inform me of your decision by sending me an email or any other written message (i.e. a text message on my mobile phone number). You can also write to me a letter and send it by post to MUFLIC NOTARIES LIMITED, 6th Floor, City Gate East, Tollhouse Hill, Nottingham, NG1 5FS, England. In your message or letter, you must make a clear statement setting out your decision to cancel the contract. To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication before the cancellation period has expired.
34. If the contract is cancelled, the cancellation ends the obligations of the parties to perform the contract. Therefore, I will not provide you with the notarial services, and you do not have to pay the fee for my services. If you already paid the fee into my company’s account, you will be reimbursed without undue delay, and in any event not later than the end of 14 days after the day on which I have been informed of your decision to cancel the contract. My company will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction unless you have expressly agreed otherwise. You will have to provide me with the sort code and account number of your bank account. My company will not impose any fee on you in respect of the reimbursement.
35. My company will not begin the supply of the service before the end of the cancellation period unless you have made an express request in writing. If you ask me to begin work during the cancellation period, you can still cancel, but you must pay me an amount in proportion to the work which I have performed, and this proportion will not be reimbursed to you. You agree that if you make the payment in full of the notarial fees and disbursements, and then attend the appointment at my office and have your document notarised, I am entitled to consider that you have made an express request for the provision of the services before the end of the cancellation period. However, I may want you to sign a formal request for the provision of services when you attend the appointment. This is up to me.
36. My company reserve the right to terminate the engagement if I have good reason to do so, for example, if you do not pay a bill or comply with my request for a payment on account or you fail to give me the cooperation which I am reasonably entitled to expect.

COMPLAINTS

37. My notarial practice is regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury:

Address: The Faculty Office, 1 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London, SW1P 3JT, England

Telephone: 020 7222 5381

Email: Faculty.office@1thesanctuary.com

Website: www.facultyoffice.org.uk

38. If you are dissatisfied about the service you have received from me (through my company), please do not hesitate to contact me.
39. If I am unable to resolve the matter, you may then complain to the Notaries Society of which I am a member. The Notaries Society have a Complaints Procedure which is approved by the Faculty Office. This procedure is free to use and is designed to provide a quick resolution to any dispute. If you need to complain to the Notaries Society, please write (but do not enclose any original documents), with full details of your complaint, to:

The Secretary of The Notaries Society, P O Box 1023, Ipswich, IP1 9XB, England

Email: secretary@thenotariessociety.org.uk

40. If you have any difficulty in making a complaint in writing, please do not hesitate to contact the Notaries Society or the Faculty Office for assistance.
41. Finally, even if you have your complaint considered under the Notaries Society Approved Complaints Procedure, you may at the end of that procedure, or after a period of 8 (eight) weeks from the date you first notified me that you were dissatisfied, make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, if you are not happy with the result:

Legal Ombudsman, P O Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, England

Telephone: 0300 555 0333

Email:  enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Website:  www.legalombudsman.org.uk

42. If you decide to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, you must refer your matter to the Legal Ombudsman within one year from the act/omission or within one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

GOVERNING LAW

43. These terms of business and any disputes or claims arising out of or in connection with them and the provision of services to you are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Jurisdiction for any dispute lies with the courts of England.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

44. This document constitutes the entire agreement between the Company and you, the Client, and supersedes all and any previous agreements or representations.

Last updated: 01 January 2026.