Notarial Services

Foreign documents
Do you have an Australian document which you need to use in another country? Or, an overseas document to be signed in Australia? Whether it is powers of attorney, business contracts, medical documents, a transfer of land, estate documents, court documents or simply providing certified copies of documents such as certificates of birth, death or marriage you will need the services of a Notary Public.

What is a Notary?
Notaries Public are senior lawyers who prepare, authenticate, attest, witness and certify original and copy legal documents for use overseas. They verify the validity of documents and the identity of a person signing a document under Australian laws. This is a very important function as it enables the document to be recognised by a foreign government and validly used in another country.

The Hague Convention
Under the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents of 1969, the office and seal of a notary is internationally recognised. Joseph Lukaitis of Lukaitis Partners was appointed a Notary Public in 1992 and can provide this important service as he is a duly appointed Notary Public for the State of Victoria. He will advise you about the type of certification required and whether any other documents are needed.

The role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Even after a document has been notarised it may still need an Apostille stamp affixed to it by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (“DFAT”) before being sent overseas. An Apostille is a stamp DFAT affixes to the notarised document confirming the validity of the Notary.

Photographic identification
It is essential that photographic identification by way of passport or driver’s licence is provided by you before documents can be notarised. As not all countries are signatories to the Hague Convention we are able to advise you of the likely requirements of any particular country. You will need to provide evidence of your current address.

Appointments
It is necessary to make an appointment if you need notarial services.
Please ask for Mr. Lukaitis secretary on 9819 5515

Fees
Notarial fees vary according to the number and type of documents required.
The base fee is $77.00 inc GST. Kindly note we do not have EFTPOS or credit card facilities and fees are payable on the day of service.

For further information refer to : www.notaries.org.au