What is a Notary Public?
A Notary Public is an Australian lawyer with considerable legal experience who is authorised to authenticate a wide range of legal documents which will be valid both in Australia and overseas.
Opal Legal’s Principal Lawyer – Namrata Singh is a Notary Public.
What are the legal services that only a Notary Public can provide?
There are certain Australian and overseas legal documents that only a Notary Public is authorised to execute or authenticate. The range of services a Notary Public can provide include:
• executing or authenticating documents or instruments to be presented to public or private bodies for use overseas;
• certifying legal documents such a Powers of Attorneys, wills and other legal documents so that they may be used overseas;
• witnessing Powers of Attorney so that they may be used overseas; and
• witnessing execution of documents for companies; • Dealing with documents for land, property and deceased estates overseas.
What are the qualifications of a Notary Public?
The Supreme Court of New South Wales appoints Notaries Public under the Public Notaries Act 1997. http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/pna1997171/
To be appointed as a Notary Public, the applicant:
• must have been a lawyer for at least 5 years;
• must complete the Notarial Practice Course;
• be permitted to practice within New South Wales;
• must maintain their registration on the Roll of Public Notaries.
How much does a Notary Public charge?
The Society of Notaries of New South Wales Inc provides a scale of recommended fees https://notarynsw.org.au/recommended-fees/ that a Notary Public may charge.
However, individual notaries will provide you with a quotation of their fees which may be less or more than the scale fees.