Wallace & Co. Solicitors and Notaries. 
Wallace & Co. Solicitors and Notaries.
Click on the links below for more information about:
Adults. In England, an adult can generally use whatever name he or she likes. Most commonly, people change their surname, but first names can be changed as well.
Some people change their name merely by using the new name. This is acceptable in most situations. However, if you need to do something official, such as applying for a new passport, have a document notarised or get married, you will need to have some formal evidence of your change of name - a change of name deed or a statutory declaration. We can prepare a change of name deed for you, even very quickly, and at reasonable cost.
Children. Children's names can normally be changed with the consent of both parents. One divorced parent cannot change a child's name without a court order or the written consent of the other parent.
The single mother of a child can normally
change her child's name if she has never been married to the father
and if the father has not been given parental responsibility and
rights by the Court or by a parental responsibility agreement.
We can help with purchase or lease of commercial premises, renewal of business leases, notices from your landlord, applications to the court, rent reviews, schedules of dilapidations, arrears of rent and all other aspects of commercial properties.
If you are a landlord we can deal with granting new commercial leases, terminating business leases under the 1954 Act, serving notices in relation to rent reviews and schedules of dilapidations, rent arrears, possession claims etc.
Commissioners
for Oaths. Affidavits & oaths.
We can witness your signature on oaths and
statutory declarations. We can also draft these documents for
you (but if we prepare them you have to go to another solicitor
to sign them). Please bring some means of identification and proof
of address with you when you have to swear an oath.
English
Certificate for Home Office. Proficiency in English for Naturalisation.
N.B. This procedure has now been abandoned. We can no longer assess your proficiency as new rules were introduced on 1st November 2005.
Freeholder disappeared? If you are the long leaseholder of a flat we can handle applications to the court to acquire the freehold. Your freeholder does not have to be found.
Applications can also be made under the 1993 Act to buy the freehold from your freeholder. Alternatively, you can apply for a 90 year extension of your lease. Questions about buying your freehold.
We can handle possession and arrears cases if you are a landlord or a tenant. If you are a tenant and your property is in very poor condition because of your landlord's neglect, we can help you claim damages and get the property repaired.
If you wish to let your property, we can
advise you and draw up a lease or tenancy agreement to make sure
the risk of losing rent is minimised.
Notary
work (documents
to be sent abroad are valid only if notarised)
As a Notary Public, Mr Wallace can witness your signature on documents to be sent abroad. Usually, these will have been prepared for you by your lawyer overseas. For this service you will need to bring your passport to prove your identity, and a recent household bill to prove your address.
Notarially certified copies of documents can be made for use abroad. Most official documents can be notarially certified, for example birth certificates, marriage certificates, degree certificates, etc. The notary will make his own photocopies. Notarially certified copies cannot be made from mere photocopies. You will need to bring the originals.
Suing and being sued. Debt collection and other Civil court work
We can help if someone owes you money or
you need to make another sort of claim in court. We can also help
if someone else is making a claim against you. The small claims
limit is £5,000 (except for personal injury claims and housing
disrepair claims where the limit is £1,000). We do not normally
handle small claims because solicitors' costs are not claimable
against your opponent even if you win.
Wills
and dealing with the estate of someone who has died
We can prepare your will for you and advise on planning to save inheritance tax.
We can also administer the estate of someone who has died and advise you what to do if you are the executor or next of kin.
In some cases inheritance tax can be saved by all the beneficiaries agreeing to change the terms of a will, or (if the deceased did not leave a will) by changing the rules about who gets what. This is called a Deed of Variation or Deed of Family Arrangement and can be done up to two years after the death. A common situation is where one spouse dies leaving everything to the surviving spouse who then dies quite soon afterwards. Depending on the size of the estates, a lot of inheritance tax can be saved by a Deed of Variation.
We can store your will or other valuable documents in our fireproof safe. More on storage - Click here
More on wills-
Click here
Notary services /
Philip Wallace / Where
to find us / links to other sites
Wallace & Co., Solicitors and Notaries.
11a Station Parade, Balham High Road, London, SW12 9AZ (entrance
in Ravenstone Street). England
UK
Tel: 020 8675 6755. Fax: 020 8675 2001.
email: Is
available