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Notary 101: What is a Notary Public?

| Apostille World
Notary 101: What is a Notary Public?

The Notaries Society defines a notary public as a “qualified lawyer and a member of the third and oldest branch of the legal profession in the UK.”

“A notary is appointed by the Court of Faculties of the Archbishop of Canterbury and is subject to regulation by the Master of the Faculties. The rules which affect notaries are very similar to the rules which affect Solicitors.

“They must be fully insured and maintain fidelity cover for the protection of their clients and the public. They must keep clients money separately from their own and comply with stringent practice rules and rules relating to conduct and discipline. Notaries have to renew their practising certificates every year and can only do so if they have complied with the rules.”

“Of course, there are notaries public all over the world, but Britain is where the notary public business all started.”

“Notaries are primarily concerned with the authentication and certification of signatures and documents for use abroad, the Society says. They are also authorized to conduct general legal practice, but not in court proceedings, it adds. ”

What does a Notary Public Do?

Many notaries provide a service for commercial firms engaged in international trade, and for private individuals, according to the Society. The most common tasks are:

Preparing and witnessing powers of attorney for use overseas.
Dealing with purchase or sale of land and property abroad.
Providing documents to deal with the administration of the estates of people who are abroad, or owning property abroad.
Authenticating personal documents and information for immigration or emigration purposes, or to apply to marry or to work abroad.
Authenticating company and business documents and transactions.
For more information on notaries public, visit thenotariessociety.org.uk. If you are in New York City and need a notary public New York, you can www.apostilleworld.com.