Notaries - The Profession

Notaries are specialised lawyers who prepare, authenticate and keep records of the due execution of legal documents.

The office derives from Roman law and the Civil law tradition. In England, where solicitors and barristers form the predominant part of the legal profession, the particular function of notaries is to verify documents for use abroad.

It is because the notary's role is to authenticate or verify legal documents, that his first duty is not simply to his client but to all who place reliance on his notarial acts and certificates.

As in England a notary's acts are normally to be used abroad, his training is in foreign laws as well as English law and his role is to act as a bridge between the English legal system and other foreign systems of law.