Wye Valley corporate lawyer Jenny Staples has joined the ranks of one of the least-known but most historic branches of the legal profession – she has become a notary public, enabling her to help clients with all aspects of their overseas work, from running their businesses or buying property, to marrying or changing their names.

The position takes two years of extra study, and mean that she has joined only about 1,000 other lawyers who can offer such services across the UK – the position dates back to Roman times and is now governed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Jenny, who has been with the firm for 10 years, said:

“It has been hard work, especially since my final exam was a week before I gave birth to my first child. It is a really useful addition to my own skills and to the service we can offer clients; so many documents involved in a very wide range of overseas dealings need to be certified or attested, and I am ideally placed to do that.”

From powers of attorney overseas to change of name deeds, academic qualifications and passport documents, Jenny’s work supports people’s personal lives as well as their business lives, though business contracts, affidavits and incorporation documents are also covered.

Harrison Clark Rickerbys has more than 500 staff and partners based at offices in the Wye Valley, Worcester, Hereford, Cheltenham, Birmingham, the Thames Valley, Cambridge and central London, who provide a complete spectrum of legal services to both business and private clients, regionally and nationwide. The firm also has a number of highly successful teams specialising in individual market sectors, including health and social care, education, technology, agricultural and rural affairs, defence, security and the forces, and construction.