Steven Wignall

Notary Public Liverpool, Manchester and Southport

Steven Wignall Public Notary

Notary Public Liverpool, Manchester & Southport

I am Steven Wignall, a notary public providing a full range of notarial and legalisation services from my offices in Liverpool, Manchester and Southport.  Furthermore, I am also able to attend at clients’ homes and premises throughout the North West.

Born in Southport and still live there today.

In 1993 I qualified as a solicitor with Hill Dickinson LLP and as a notary public in 2011. 

As a solicitor, my main area of practice was environmental nuisance and pollution claims, including several complex group action claims involving thousands of claimants.  However, as a result of continued growth in my notarial practice, I gave up my work as a solicitor in 2018 in order to become a full-time notary public and now deal with hundreds of notarial instructions every year on behalf of clients ranging from private individuals to multinational companies.  I provide a prompt, efficient and friendly service to all my clients.

Taking from experience in dealing with bureaucratic foreign authorities, I know this can be difficult and confusing. As a result, I will help you cut through the red tape by making all the legal processes clear and understandable.

Additionally, I understand that many notarial instructions are urgent.  Equally, as a full-time notary public I can be available at very short notice – often the same day – to help you meet your deadline.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me for initial guidance and advice – I will be glad to help.

What is a notary?

Notaries exist all over the world, but have different roles in different countries.  

In England and Wales, a notary public is a specialist, independent lawyer who verifies facts and authenticates documents for use in foreign countries.  Therefore notaries perform a vital function in a wide range of foreign transactions for both individuals and businesses and some examples can be viewed here.  Their existence means that you can deal with paperwork in this country rather than having to travel abroad to do so.

As part of the verification/authentication process, a notary public is usually certifying something to be true.  This might include:

  • The identity and capacity of a person signing a document;
  • The authenticity of a signature on a document;
  • Additionally, the authenticity of an original or copy document; or
  • The legal position in relation to a particular issue.

Unlike solicitors, whose principal duty is to their client, a notary public is fully independent and has an overriding duty to the transaction in which they are involved.  In other words, a notary public owes a duty to everyone relying on their certification and must therefore be completely satisfied with all the information provided before finalising their certification.