Welcome to Sikorska Notary
Before contacting the Notary Public
A notary is a legal professional who can provide notarial services to clients who have business, property or family interests abroad. Notarial services include witnessing signatures, certifying documents, administering oaths, and verifying identities. A notary can certify documents such as passports, diplomas, contracts, and deeds. Each case a notary deals with is different and may require different documents and procedures depending on the receiving country and the purpose of the notarial act. Therefore, it is especially important that a notary is presented with the relevant information as soon as the client makes initial contact. This will help the notary to advise the client on what is required and how long it will take to complete the notarial matter.
Before meeting a notary, a client will be interviewed regarding the matter and people intervening in the act. This will aim to identify all documents and evidence that should be presented to a notary for inspection.
A notarisation provides a guarantee that the act is lawful and not the result of fraud or violence. Therefore, a notary must be satisfied with the identity of the person appearing before them to sign a document, with that person's mental and statutory capacity, understanding of the act and willingness to be bound to all provisions.
The Notary will usually be able to tell you the fee and any disbursements payable to third parties once they have received details of what is required. For complex matters you will receive details of how the fee will be charged, and an estimate of how long it is likely to take to deal with the matter. However, in some cases this is not known at the outset.
To help you prepare for the meeting with a notary and understand typical stages of the notarial activity, please refer to the applicable guidance below:
