Yes. A notary public is a qualified witness who can sign a statutory declaration in New South Wales. However, if you are intending to use that statutory declaration in New South Wales then you can also sign it in front of a lawyer or a justice of the peace. Unlike a notary public or a lawyer, the services of a justice of the peace are free.
If you are signing a NSW statutory declaration, it is unnecessary to engage the services of a notary public or a lawyer unless you are unable to find a justice of the peace.
If you are signing a statutory declaration for another state or a different country (other than Australia) be aware that different states and countries may use different documents (and wordings), so you should check with your lawyer in the relevant state or country for their specific templates.
You may find that there are many forms of templates for different documents available on the internet, and even though many clients use these forms successfully, the internet can often be an unreliable source of information.
Where can I find templates for a statutory declaration?
If you are looking for the NSW statutory declaration template, you can find them at the following links.
If you are looking for templates for other states or countries, the standing advice is to have your documents prepared by your lawyer in the intended destination state or country. This will ensure that your statutory declaration will be legally valid and acceptable according to their laws to avoid any hassle, delay or additional unnecessary cost. Otherwise, you may be able to find templates from the relevant foreign office or government departments or failing all of that you may be able to find templates on the internet.
FAQs for documents requiring notary public services
If you have questions regarding documents for your intended destination country, please review the frequently asked questions here or call our office on 02 9687 8885 to speak to our notary public.
- Do you prepare documents for overseas?
- Do you have stamp paper or bonded paper?
- Do you have any templates for what the document needs to look like or the wording?
- Do my documents need to be in English or in any other language?
- My documents are on email or in a USB stick, can I print them at your office?
- Will you notarise an electronic document?
- Will you bind my documents?
- If I need certified copies of original documents, do I need to bring my own copies?
- Do I need to bring the document myself or I can send someone else?
- My document needs to be witnessed but I have already signed it. Can it still be notarised?
Who can witness my signature or certify my documents?
Do you have any questions regarding this article?
Whether you’re notarising a document for the first time or the hundreth time, the requirements, processes, and terms can be confusing and daunting – or just a pain and a hassle (especially if you need an apostille, or to authenticate or legalise as well). Don’t worry! We’re here to simplify it, explain it, and help you with what you need to achieve it.
Contact us or visit our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about our notary public services. We’ve also created a flowchart to help explain notarisation, apostille, authentication and legalisation.
So, what’s next?
Visit our Notary Fees page for a free quote for our notary public services or just call us on +61 2 9687 8885 to speak with our friendly team about your requirements.
Why choose Phang Legal for your notary public services?
We’re a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney known for our experience and expertise in notarising documents for other countries, our low-cost fixed fees and service offering, and our availability to help on short notice. With our offices conveniently located in Parramatta, the geographic centre of the Sydney metropolitan area, we help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely notary public services.
Notary Public
This website is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm in Parramatta and a leading provider of quality notary public services to satisfied clients across Sydney.
Ern Phang is a director of Phang Legal and a notary public (since 2005). Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the issues faced by his clients in sending documents to other countries.