A notary public attests documents and certifies the execution of the documents, prepares and certifies certain legal documents, administers oaths, witnesses affidavits, statutory declarations and other documents, and certifies copies of the documents. A notary public fulfils a role that can be best described as an ‘international justice of the peace’.
If you are not sure whether you require a notary public, a justice of the peace (which should be a free service), commissioner of oaths, a lawyer, or some other prescribed, authorised or qualified witness, you should check with whoever has asked you to have your document notarised in the first place. Documents that are intended to be used in other countries (ie, not Australia) but are signed, witnessed or certified in Australia generally need to be notarised by a notary public before they will be accepted and legally valid in the intended destination country.
Who can witness my signature or certify my documents?
Other FAQs regarding our notary public services
If you have any other questions regarding our notary public services, please contact us or browse our other frequently asked questions:
- What’s a ‘notary public’?
- What does a notary public do?
- What’s the difference between a notary public and a justice of the peace?
- What’s the difference between a notary and a commissioner of oaths?
- What makes you different from other notaries?
- What’s an ‘apostille’?
- What’s the Apostille Convention?
- I’ve been told I need an apostille. Where and how do I get it?
- What’s ‘authentication’?
- Are you recognised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade?
- What’s your experience in providing notary public services?
- Do you provide any services other than notary services?
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.