If you are looking for an Adelaide Notary Public you can talk to our Jason Meyer who is a qualified Notary Public in Australia and also in South Africa. You may also be interested in:
- What is a Public Notary?;
- What Services Does a Notary Provide?;
- How Much do Notarial Services Cost?;
- Difference Between a Notary Public and a Justice of the Peace.
What is a Public Notary?
- A Notary is a specially qualified practising lawyer who holds a unique office of trust and fidelity within the legal system. Notaries in South Australia are generally senior legal practitioners appointed for life by the Supreme Court.
- Notaries are qualified to take oaths and to witness documents for use not just in Australia but also internationally. Unlike a Justice of the Peace, a Notary Public can administer oaths, witness the execution of documents and certify international documents for use outside of Australia.
- Most countries require important commercial or personal documents which originate from another country to be notarised before they can be used or officially recorded.
- Notarial seals are recorded in a database by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (“DFAT“).
- Under the Hague Convention a Notaries seal and signature is internationally recognised.
- Notaries will affix their personalised seal or stamp close to or immediately underneath their signature.
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What Services Does a Notary Provide?
A Notary Public has internationally recognised powers and authority to provide a range of notarial services for our corporate and commercial clients including:
- witnessing of contractual and other documents;
- administering oaths where the document will be used outside of Australia;
- providing advice in relation to the authentication and verification of documents to be produced and relied upon outside Australia;
- verification, authentication and certification of deeds, declarations and other documents;
- notarising international banking documents;
- certifying copy documents;
- verification of identity and/or signature;
- notarising the execution of Powers of Attorney and other commercial documents such as minutes, reports, resolutions and corporate governance certificates.
Notary FAQ’s
Notaries charge a fee and usually charge on an hourly basis. Accordingly, the cost to the client will depend on the length of time the client spends with the Notary and the work involved. To assist in providing a fee estimate, it is recommended that the client provide the Notary with clear instructions on what needs to be notarised, including the intended purpose as well as the destination country. In addition to the Notary’s fee, there will be an additional government fee payable direct to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) if an apostille (or stamping the Notarial Certificate/document with an authentication) is required.
A notarised document is a document that is certified by a Notary. The process ordinarily culminates with the Notary applying their signature and official seal to a hard copy (non digital) document.
Notaries hold a unique office of trust which is recognised in Australia and overseas. If a document is to be used overseas, it would not be appropriate for a JP to attend to witnessing or authenticating it because of the JP’s limited powers and functions; Notaries have this exclusive right.
A Justice of the Peace (JP) and Notary are not the same. A fundamental difference between a JP and Notary is that a JP is only recognised in a particular State or Territory of Australia while a Notary is recognised both nationally and internationally.
Each Australian State and Territory has its own legislation to regulate JP’s appointment, powers and functions. There are no national JP’s.
In South Australia, JP’s are appointed under the Justices of the Peace Act, 2005 (the ‘Act‘) and do not charge a fee for service.
The main function of a JP in South Australia is to act as an independent and objective witness to documents to be used in South Australia. The Act also provides for a JP who is temporarily outside of South Australia to witness documents if those documents are to be used in South Australia.
In South Australia, a Notary is a specially qualified practising lawyer appointed under the terms of the Notaries Public Act, 2016 and admitted to the Supreme Court as a Notary Public. Each Notary has a seal and their signature is officially recorded in a data base held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which is recognised in Australia and overseas.
Notaries hold a unique office of trust and, unlike a JP, are qualified to not only draft documents but to also take oaths and to witness documents for use not just in Australia but also internationally. The most common role of a Notary is, however, to administer oaths, witness the execution of documents and certify documents for use outside of Australia.
How Much do Notarial Services Cost?
We charge for notarial services on the same basis as our legal work on a time basis in accordance with our legal services agreement. For most services we are able to offer a fixed price. We will be able to provide you with an estimate of our costs once we understand what work is necessary.
It can help minimise cost by providing us with a copy of:
- any instructions you may have received from the foreign country; and/or
- the documents which you need notarised.
Difference Between Notary Public and Justice of the Peace
A Notary Public and Justice of the Peace (JP) are not the same. A fundamental difference between a JP and Notary is that a JP is only recognised in a particular State or Territory of Australia while a Notary is recognised both nationally and internationally.
Each Australian State and Territory has its own legislation to regulate the appointment, powers and functions of JPs. There are no national JPs.
In South Australia, JPs are appointed under the Justices of the Peace Act 2005 (Act) and do not charge a fee for service.
The main function of a JP in South Australia is to act as an independent and objective witness to documents to be used in South Australia. The Act also provides for a JP who is temporarily outside of South Australia to witness documents if those documents are to be used in South Australia.
If a document is to be used overseas, it would not be appropriate for a JP to attend to witnessing or authenticating it because of the JP’s limited powers and functions; Notaries have this exclusive right.
In South Australia, a Notary Public is a specially qualified practising lawyer appointed under the terms of the Notaries Public Act 2016 and admitted to the Supreme Court as a Notary Public. Each Notary has a seal and their signature is officially recorded in a data base held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which is recognised in Australia and overseas.
Notaries hold a unique office of trust and, unlike a JP, are qualified to take oaths and to witness documents for use not just in Australia but also internationally. The most common role of a Notary is, however, to administer oaths, witness the execution of documents and certify documents for use outside of Australia. Notaries charge a fee for service.
Our Notary is a registered lawyer and notary public in Australia and South Africa
We are fortunate that our commercial and property lawyer Jason Meyer is a registered South Australian Notary Public. He is also admitted to practice law in South Africa and he is a registered South African Notary Public.
Read our Client Reviews and then talk to Jason Meyer on 8362 6400 to discuss your notarial requirements on a no obligation basis.
