Notary

Definitions

1. A lawyer of noncontentious private civil law who drafts, takes, and records legal instruments for private parties, and provides legal advice, but does not appear in court on his or her clients' behalf.
2. A public notary, a legal practitioner who prepares, attests to, and certifies documents, witnesses affidavits, and administers oaths.
   common
3. A notary public, a public officer who serves as an impartial witness to the signing of important documents, but who is not authorised to practise law.
   Canada, US

Equivalents

29 more languages

العربيةعادلكاتب العدلموثق

Българскинотариус

Bosanskibilježnikбиљежник

Catalànotari

Češtinanotář

Ελληνικάσυμβολαιογράφος

Suominotaarinotariaatti

Gaeilgenótaire

Hrvatskibilježnikбиљежник

Magyarközjegyző

Հայերեննոտար

Bahasa Indonesianotaris

Íslenskalögbókandi

Italianonotaio

日本語公証人

ქართულინოტარიუსი

한국어공증인

Latinanotariustabellio

Македонскинотар

Maltinutar

Nederlandsnotaris

Polskinotariusz

Portuguêsnotário

Русскийнотариус

Српскиbilježnikбиљежник

Svenskanotarius publicus

Türkçenoter

Українськанотаріус

Tiếng Việtcông chứng viên

Examples

“Originally an official of the medieval European ecclesiastical courts, the notary developed into a noncontentious secular legal professional in France. In England, partly because the canon and secular laws were not on speaking terms, "the notarial system never took deep root." For one thing, an important aspect of the notary’s duties, his authority to "authenticate" documents, was of little use⟳ to the English. The whole notion of a state-sanctioned authenticator of private acts was entirely foreign to English common law; whereas in France we see⟳ notaries "making" and "passing" contracts, the common law left that to the parties.”

“Unlike the United States, where a notary public is often a clerk you find⟳ working in a bank or real estate office, a Mexican notary has a higher ranking than an ordinary attorney who is not a notary. (In Mexico all notaries are attorneys, but not all attorneys are notaries.)”

“Although advocates sometimes get⟳ involved in drafting instruments, notaries continue⟳ to do most of this work⟳ in civil law nations.”

“It is not known whether any Puebla residents did go to the capital to bid for properties in their state because in such cases the purchases would have⟳ been formalized before a notary in Mexico City, [...]”

“The giving of legal advice by notaries and others who are not admitted to practice law is, in its opinion, dangerous to the welfare of the community, because such persons have⟳ not demonstrated their capacity [...]”

“Although signed by a notary in New York, it lacked a physical description or documentation. It could have⟳ been issued to anyone, or resold to anyone willing to change⟳ his name⟳.”

“"In 1961, there was a case Torcaso v. Watkins, in which a public notary in Maryland refused to take⟳ the oath, “so help⟳ me God,” and the court said he wasn't required to acknowledge God [although] the Maryland law said you were."”

“This was completely unofficial, of course, since a notary in Vermont can only swear⟳ in people who plan⟳ to be working in Vermont, and they might as well have⟳ stayed in bed, but for a public relations ploy you couldn't beat⟳ it, […]”

CEFR level