obtaining/ renewing child's passport with just one parent

Hi Everyone--

just wondering if any of you could tell me your experience of either getting or renewing your child's passport with only 1 parent attending.  I read on the website that there is a document and it must be notarized- who in the UK can we use to do this??  Both of us could go but then we'd have to drag both kids along.  If I can take DD myself DH can stay home and it'd make the day a lot easier.

Also how far in advance can we renew? 

Oh- just a thought- we are going home for christmas so could get the form notarized there by a US notary.  It says on the website it must not be older than 3 months so could we just do that and renew it when we return to the UK.  DD passport expires in Sept

any thoughts??

If her passport expires in September, I don't think she could travel on it in December.

I think you can get things notarized at the US embassy.

sorry for the confusion- it expires Sept next year- I was thinking of getting it renewed when we get back after christmas because we are also expecting again in April and was thinking to get hers done before the other baby comes and then making the other trip for the baby alone instead of all of us making a big trip.

For us it would be easier for DH to stay home babysitting and me make the trips down thus needing the form notarized.  We think we can get her form notarized in the US and bring it back with us and go sometime in Feb or March (embassy says notary is good for 3 months)

I guess my real question is where/ how to get the form notarized in the UK- do we have to use and official notary (I've read it costs about 60 GBP) or can we use the cheaper solicitor "certify" option (possibly 5GBP)

can anyone shed some light please

Certification from a local solicitor worked fine for us.  I just had a friend who's a solicitor come over and he stamped it for free.  No need to search out notaries.  As long as I had that form, that I got from the embassy website, I was fine.

Thanks- was hoping it'd be the simple route.