No, except in specific circumstances. “The notary is required to provide his or her professional services in compliance with Articles 5 and 22 of the Code of Notarial Ethics” (Order of 29 January 2024 approving the professional rules applicable to notaries and the professional regulations of the notarial profession).
By way of exception, a notary is required to refuse to provide advice or assistance in drawing up deeds or agreements that are contrary to the law, fraudulent, or that the notary knows to be ineffective or unnecessary (Article 5 of Decree No. 2023-1297 of 28 December 2023).
A notary may also discontinue his or her services on fair and reasonable grounds, including (Article 22 of Decree No. 2023-1297):
- loss of the trust necessary for the proper performance of the notary’s duties, whether on the part of the notary or the client;
- a serious lack of respect on the part of the client;
- repeated withholding by the client of information or documents essential to the proper handling of the matter; or
- the client’s failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations.