Swears, Affirmations & Certification
Our Coalville Office is open Monday to Friday from 9.00 – 1.00pm to 2.00pm – 5.00pm. Please give us a call on 01530 510 666 to book your appointment.
What are Swears and Affirmations?
Swears and affirmations are when an individual signs a document in the presence of a Solicitor and “swears” or “affirms” that the contents of that document are true.
Examples of documents that need to be sworn or affirmed include statutory declarations and oaths for executors or administrators as part of the probate process.
The cost of a swear is £5 cash for the document to be sworn and an additional £2 for each attachment known as an “exhibit”.
Document Certification
Document certification is also available, please phone in advance to make an appointment. Document certification may be needed for many reasons. Common examples are certifying original Passports and Utility Bills for to prove your identity to third parties, such as other solicitors or as Government departments. Please note that some forms/applications require the certifier to have known the applicant for a minimum period of time, please ask if you are unsure.
The certification process is when a Solicitor makes a copy of an original document and then counter-signs to certify that this is a true and accurate copy.
Our charges for document certification are as follows:
- Simple certification: £5.00 per copy certified
- Land Registry Form ID1: £100 (plus vat) per form
- Land Registry Form ID2: £100 (plus vat) per form
These charges do not apply if the documents are being copied for our own internal verification purposes.
Next Step
For a swear, affirmation or certification you will also need to ensure that you bring with you some photographic identification in the form of a passport or photo driving licence so that you can be identified for the “swear”, “affirmation” or document certification by our Solicitor. For certified ID, you must attend in person as the solicitor will need to certify that the document bears a true likeness to the individual.
When undertaking a swear, affirmation or certification a Solicitor is not providing legal advice as to the contents or enforceability of the document that you are signing but instead is verifying that you have carried out the swear or affirmation correctly or that the document is an identical copy of the original.
If you require initial legal advice in connection with a matter then we are happy to have an initial chat over the telephone at no obligation.
For swears, affirmations or document certification please call Mander Cruickshank Solicitors on 01530 510666.