Family Division of the High Court of Justice Document

The Family Division of the High Court of Justice hear cases about divorce, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, family issues, probate, medical treatment, international child abduction and cases where a child who is under legal proceedings needs to be protected.

Some of the documents issued by the Family Division may bear an official signature. If the document requires an apostille and the signature is recognised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, then an apostille can be attached to it without the need for notarisation. If, however, there is no signature or the signature is not recognised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, then a Notary can either notarise the original document or a true copy of the document. This can then be legalised with an apostille. In both instances, a Notary will verify the authenticity of the document by contacting the court where it was issued.

If court documents are going to be used abroad, it is worth checking with the receiving authority whether the original is required or if copies will be acceptable.