The role of the notary: what are his areas of expertise?

Updated on Thursday 25 June 2026

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Call upon a notary

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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.
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The notary's authentic act

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.
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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
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The notary’s obligations

Understanding Notary Fees

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Notary tariffs: emoluments and fees

The amount that one pays to the notary, which we commonly and improperly call "notary fees" actually includes taxes (approx. 8/10th of fees), disbursement (1/10th of fees) and notary’s compensation (1/10th of fees).
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Cost of buying a house : Conveyancing fees

During a real estate purchase, the buyer must pay taxes and additional fees at the selling price. In the new market, these fees amount to 2 to 3% of the selling price. We are talking about "reduced fees" or "reduced notaire fees".
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Power of Attorney at the Notary’s Office

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Acts which do not present any degree of urgency must be postponed. Mentioning a typology of acts here is difficult. The profession is working to establish all the documents, in particular through the means of a remote appearance via Visio conference. Only proven emergency situations could be of a nature…
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Yes. The French Commercial Code (Articles A444-53 et seq.) sets out the notary’s fees, known as emoluments, which represent the notary’s remuneration. However, the total cost of a donation deed includes several other components: Registration duties (droits d’enregistrement) payable to the tax authorities; Value Added Tax (VAT) applicable to certain…
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Yes. An acknowledgement of debt may be executed as a private deed if it states the amount of the debt in figures and words and bears the signature of the person undertaking the obligation (French Civil Code, Art. 1376). It may also be drawn up as an authentic instrument. A…
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