Notarial services are rare in Australia, yet the Notary public has a pertinent role to play. Its main objective is to notarize the documents that tend to be used in foreign countries. The requirements of notarial services are varied depending on the needs of the particular jurisdiction.
The main functions of a Notary are:
· Authenticating the documents that include contracts or extracts from the Australian Government for use overseas.
· Witnessing signatures of individuals and authenticating documents
· To certify the copies of documents for use overseas.
· Notaries fix the official seal or inked stamp on the documents confirming the true identity of a signatory.
· Assess whether the signatory lacks legal incapacity, including not restricted to senility, duress, illness, or intoxication.
Make sure that the signatory understands the facts mentioned in the document. However, notarization of documents is not legal advice. Notaries do not have the right to advise on the legal complexities of the document. That is a job of a lawyer. Notaries also make sure that whatever information they collect to verify the deponent’s signature, they must retain the document details and comply with the Privacy Act 1988.
