With no consulate in the United States, a power of attorney allowing someone to act in Honiara is often the only practical way a property, family or estate matter moves. Agree the certification route with the lawyer there before anything is drafted, because the usual consular step does not exist here.
Quick facts
Land is the decisive issue. The great majority of land is customary, held by clans rather than individuals, and decisions about it are made collectively. A power of attorney over "the family land" operates inside that structure, not around it.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. notarisation | $5–$25 per signature | First step |
| State and federal certification | $3–$25 plus $20 | Where required |
| Consular step | Not available here | Ask what substitutes |
| Lawyer’s fees in Honiara | Agreed with the firm | Drafting and completion |
| Courier | Carrier’s charge | Slow across the Pacific |
Registered land exists in a minority of cases, mostly around Honiara and other centres, and behaves quite differently. Establish which category applies first.
How to proceed
- Ask the lawyer in Honiara for the wording and the acts to authorise.
- Ask how the document should be certified, given there is no post here.
- Establish whether the land is customary or registered.
- Collect the identity details of everyone named.
- Complete the U.S. certifications once the route is agreed.
- Courier the original and keep a scan.
Required documents
- Solomon Islands passport or identity document.
- The wording supplied from Honiara.
- Full details of the person receiving the authority.
- Land or case references as they appear in the records.
- Evidence of relationship for family matters.
- Correspondence confirming the certification route.
Where to enquire
At the Permanent Mission in New York, and with a lawyer in Honiara.
No offices currently listed.
Additional notes
Agree the route before drafting
A well-drafted document that cannot be certified is worthless.
Clans decide customary land
Collectively, and not through a registry. Plan accordingly.
Choose carefully
Where a power of attorney substitutes for a consulate, who holds it matters more than usual.
Revocation
Revoking requires a further instrument through the same slow route, so keep the authority narrow.