Profession of a Notary in Australia

Practice your active vocabulary. Read the text and translate the words given in brackets.

Write a short composition on one of the topics mentioned in exercise 1 (Practice and Experience).

3. Study article 40 of the Law on the Notary Service Board of Ukraine and tell your classmates who can make wills and prepare powers of attorney if a person is:

An applicant for appointment as a notary should be a legal practitioner with knowledge of Australian law and commercial practice.

Firstly, s notary may act for both parties to (угода) as long as there is no conflict between them. In such cases (обов`язок нотаріуса) is to ensure that the transaction that they conclude is fair to both sides.

Secondly, a notary will often need to place and complete a special clause or attach a special page on or to (документ) in order to make it valid for use overseas. In the case of some documents which are to be used in some foreign countries it may also be necessary to obtain another (посвідчення) known as an "authentication" from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Thirdly, a notary identifies himself or herself on documents by the use of his or her individual (печатка). Such (печатки) have historical origins and are regarded by most other countries as of great importance for establishing the (автентичність) of (документа).

1. (посвідчення документів) and their due execution for use in Australia and internationally,

2. preparation and certification of (доручення, заповіти, контракти) and other legal documents for use in Australia and internationally,

3. administering of (присяга) for use in Australia and internationally,

4. witnessing (письмове свідчення під присягою, урочиста заява про правдивість свідчень) and other documents for use in Australia and internationally,

5. (завірення копій документів) for use Australia and internationally,

6. exemplification of (офіційних документів) for use internationally,

Australian notaries do not hold "commissions" which can expire. Once appointed they are authorized to act as a notary for life and can only be "struck off" by the Roll of Notaries for proven misconduct.

All Australian jurisdictions also have Justices of the Peace (JP) or Commissioners for Affidavits who can witness affidavits or statutory declarations and certify documents. However they can only do so if the relevant affidavit, statutory declaration or copy document is to be used only in Australia rather than in a foreign country.

QUIZ: Notary`s Competence Misconceptions about the notary’s role and notarial acts can cause problems in your professional life.

Take the quiz below and check your knowledge. (See below for answers.) Multiple Choice 1. Power of attorney documents: a) can never be notarized; b) are often notarized; c) are sometimes used when notarizing other documents; d) both B and C. 2. If a signer does not want to appear before a notary: a) a subscribing witness is a good alternative; b) the document may be mailed to a notary; c) a written statement of intent to have the document notarized is sufficient; d) the notary should insist on personal appearance. 3. A notary must always be guided by: a) the employer’s needs; b) Notary laws; c) his or her own discretion; d) the customer`s wishes. True/False Statements 4. A private notary is the same as a public notary. 5. You can secure a patent or copyright or protect ownership of an idea if a notary notarizes it. 6. One all-purpose notary certificate can be used for all notarial acts. 7. If there is no room for a notary certificate, it is acceptable to just stamp and sign a document. 8. Notarization makes any document legal. 9. You can execute a jurat or acknowledgment without a signature. 10. A photograph can be notarized just by placing a notary's seal on it. Answers to: Notary`s Competence (Quiz above) 1. (d) Sometimes notaries are confused about power of attorney documents and erroneously feel they cannot be notarized. Any power of attorney document that meets the criteria for a proper notarization can be notarized. Also, a signer acting as an attorney in fact may present a power of attorney document to legitimize his authority to sign. . 2. (d) Before any signature may lawfully be notarized, the signer must appear in person before the notary. This is the only way the notary can properly identify the signer and verify that he or she is signing or has signed the document willingly, with an understanding of its purpose and effect. 3. (b) To properly perform his or her duties, a notary must be guided by state statute. 4. False. There is some difference in the competence and the way of setting the fee for their services. 5. False. You cannot secure a patent or copyright or protect ownership of an idea merely by having a notary notarize it. 6. False. Because each type of notarial act certifies a different set of facts, each requires different wording in the notarial certificate. So acknowledgments, jurats, copy certifications and other notarial acts all have distinctly different certificates. 7. False. Every notarization requires certificate wording to indicate exactly what the notary is certifying. It is a completely meaningless act for a notary to merely stamp and sign any document. 8. False. Notarization does not legalize or validate a document. Any legal paper that contains invalidating flaws before notarization will contain the same flaws afterward. 9. False. Jurats require a signer to sign in the notary's presence. Acknowledgments indicate, among other things, that the signer freely signed for the purposes stated in the document. 10. False. Notaries have no authority to notarize or certify photographs to verify their contents.