Notary Public Services
NAVIGATING LEGAL DOCUMENTS, ESPECIALLY ONES INTENDED FOR INTERNATIONAL USE, CAN BE A COMPLEX TASK. MANY COUNTRIES REQUIRE DOCUMENTS TO BE WITNESSED OR CERTIFIED BEFORE THEY CAN BE VALIDLY USED OVERSEAS. ENSURING THAT THESE DOCUMENTS ARE PROPERLY WITNESSED AND CERTIFIED OFTEN REQUIRES THE EXPERTISE OF A NOTARY PUBLIC.
What is a Notary Public?
An Australian Notary Public is a public officer who is a practising solicitor with a minimum of 5 years’ experience as a partner of a law firm. In Australia, this public officer is appointed for life by a State or Territory Supreme Court and given statutory powers to witness documents, administer oaths and certify copies of documents as well as other wide-ranging administrative functions with international impact.
Why might you need a Notary Public?
Typically, you will need a Notary Public if you are dealing with an overseas authority, government department, court or lawyer and that party dictates that, before they accept a particular document, they require the input of a Notary Public. Such input might be in any number of ways. Our Notary Public services include:
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Notarisation of documents;
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Certification of copy documents;
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Witnessing Affidavits & Declarations;
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Notarisation of Company documents;
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Certification of corporate documents including ASIC documents, company constitutions, Certificates of Good Manufacturing Practice and Certificates of Good Standing; and
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Other documents such as Powers of Attorney, Administrative documents, conveyancing, property or mortgage instruments or trust documents.
Legalisation
In many cases, the overseas party will require that, after the document is witnessed etc by the Notary Public, it be “legalised”. This is most usually done by that affixing of an Apostille by from DFAT. However, this process is only available where the other country involved is a signatory to the Apostille Convention failing which legalisation will usually need to be undertaken by that country’s embassy.
In summary
The role of a Notary Public is integral to establishing the authenticity and legality of international documents.
At Andrews Crosthwaite Lawyers, we offer professional Notary Public services through principal of the firm, Neil Crosthwaite. As a founding partner of the practice, Neil’s extensive legal experience ensures that all notarisation needs are handled with the utmost expertise, providing peace of mind for all international legal documentation.
Our goal is to simplify the legal complexities of international documentation, providing you with a reliable and seamless service.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact us on 9450 9400 or email info@andcro.com.au with your relevant documentation and, in particular, the stipulated requirements of the overseas authority with whom you are dealing.
