C&F Third Department - Foreign Lawyer

Hello All, was wondering if anyone can clarify a couple of points for me as I compile my life story again for C&F.

1. As notaries are akin to unicorns in the UK, was anyone successful without notarisation? If so how?

2. If you happen to have had a year abroad, was an education affidavit needed from them?

3. Pro-bono hours, any issues with doing this locally?

I will probably think about several other UK annoyances in this process over the next few days, so I welcome anyone's struggles or successes.