DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NOTARY PUBLIC AND A LAWYER

In Victoria, a Notary Public (also known as a Public Notary or Notary) is a Solicitor/Lawyer who, having held a Principal Practising Certificate for at least 5 years and having undergone training in Notarial Practice, has been duly admitted to the Supreme Court as a Public Notary.

Notarised documents can be considered ‘self-authenticating’ which means the signatures on a document are not needed to be proved as authentic signatures. A notarised document does not mean it is true or legal. A Notary is not responsible for the contents of the documents that they are witnessing.

A Notary can:

 Authenticate the execution of documents;

 Administer oaths and take statutory declarations;

 Prepare certificates of law;

 Verify a person’s identity and witness their signature and/or finger prints on documents to be used overseas;

 Certify that a copy of a part or an entire document is a true and correct copy of that document so that can be legally recognised throughout the world. This is the most used function of a Notary Public.

Notaries Public affix their official seal (usually impressed onto a red or gold sticker) or inked stamp, onto documents immediately under, adjacent or as near as possible to their signatures.

A Lawyer, unlike a notary, is not able to witness or verify documents that are going to be used internationally for legal purposes.