What does a notary do?
The notary looks after his/her clients in difficult and far-reaching legal transactions, such as with company formations, merger and acquisition contracts, assignment of shares in a business and company, property purchases and sales, wills or marriage contracts. The functions of the notary entail both legal advice and the preparation of contracts with resultant authentication as well as the entire practical processing of the legal transaction (applications to the land registry, Commercial Register filings etc.).
In addition to the authentication of contracts or other legal transactions, the notary is also competent for the attestation of signatures and the issuing of certified copies of deeds.
The notary is independent from the State and Principals and obliged to neutrality. As an impartial mediator, he/she makes no dispute adjudications between the parties. As notarial deeds have a particular probative value in all rules of procedure, e.g. in civil proceedings, the activity of the notary is regarded as direct (sovereign) exercising of state authority. Just like doctors, the notary is subject to the confidentiality obligation. This applies also for the staff employed by him/her.