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. 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…

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…

No. When the mandate is established in authentic form, the law requires the agent to render his accounts and all "useful supporting documents" to the drafting notary of said mandate (article 491 of the Civil Code).

Yes. The original of a will is kept by the notary who has custody of it, meaning the one who received it and filed it among his official records (Article 1007 of the French Civil Code). The notary you have appointed to handle the estate therefore only has a copy.

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…

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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 ?

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?

What notarial acts need to be postponed due to containment?

Under a future protection mandate established by the notary of my father (who has since been diagnosed with Alzheimer's), I have become his agent. Is it possible for me to account for my management to my own notary?

My father has passed away. The notary handling the estate has only provided me with a copy of the will and informs me that he does not have the original, which is held by another notary. Is this normal?

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?