the role of the notary

Updated on Thursday 6 March 2025

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The role of a notary

Updated on Monday 19 May 2025

Notary’s role

The notary is a legal officer with a mission of public authority who prepares contracts in their authentic form on behalf of its clients. It exercises functions within a liberal framework.

Updated on Monday 30 June 2025

The authentic act is an act which is received by a competent public officer to instrument it in the place where it was drawn up. It is different from the private act which is signed only by the parties and can be regulated anywhere.

Updated on Friday 17 February 2023

The notary's main areas of intervention

Notary's mission :"Notaries are the public officers established to receive deeds and contracts to make these authentic, are attached to acts of public authority, and to ensure the date, keep the deposit, issue grosses and expeditions thereof." The Ordinance dated November 2, 1945

A question ? Need help ?

No. A municipality can very well decide to pre-empt a property offered for sale at a selling price lower than that desired by the seller. The latter must send the owner its proposal by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, within 2 months of receiving the DIA. The seller then…

A document must be legalised when it is intended for use in a country that is not a signatory to the Hague Convention or to any international agreement waiving such formalities. The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs maintains an up-to-date table listing the formalities required according to the destination…

Yes, but… The law applicable to your mother’s estate is French law, since her tax residence was in France. You may choose any notary you wish, but only a French notary can file the deeds recording the transfer of ownership of your mother’s real estate with the Land Registry (Article…

Yes. Only the notary who holds the will (to whom your father entrusted it) is the custodian of the original. As soon as he is informed of the testator’s death, he must immediately draw up a report of opening and condition of the will, specifying the circumstances of its deposit…

No. In the event of loss, it is not possible to obtain a copy of the family record book. According to Article 15 of Decree No. 74-449 of 15 May 1974, only a second family record book may be issued, and only to spouses or parents who do not possess…

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the role of the notary

The role of a notary

Notary’s role

The notary's authentic act

The notary's main areas of intervention

A question ? Need help ?

I am selling my house. My notary sent the declaration of intent to alienate (DIA) to the town hall. If the latter decides to exercise its right of pre-emption, does it have to acquire the property at the price initially fixed?

When is document legalisation required?

I am a Swiss tax resident. My mother, who passed away this year, lived in France in a house she owned and did not make a will. Can I appoint a notary in Switzerland?

My father has passed away. The notary handling the estate only shows me a copy of his will and informs me that the original is with another notary. Is this legal?

My widowed mother has passed away. To establish the certificate of notoriety (acte de notoriété), the notary is asking me to provide her family record book (livret de famille). I cannot find it. Can I obtain a copy?