[Teresa Edgerton]

But here, the only people who put that kind of stamp on things, or certify signatures or documents under oath, are notary publics. And they don't take charge of documents, not that I have ever heard. (My daughter is a notary public, I could ask her, if somebody else doesn't have a definite answer to that.)

And we don't have any equivalent for "solicitor" here. As I understand it, our lawyers do what English solicitors and barristers do all rolled into one, and their fees are correspondingly high. I doubt that an American lawyer would take charge of a manuscript unless a) there was some legal action pending or b) (as a courtesy) if the writer of the manuscript was already a client. If they did do so under any other circumstances, I am sure there would be a hefty fee as a retainer involved.

Kissmequick is English, so perhaps she could avail herself of the services of an English solicitor in that way. Our British members may be able to comment on that. But for the majority of the Americans who might be reading this topic and thinking about following the advice here, asking a lawyer to hold a manuscript would not be a practical step.