Notary Public & Apostille

We have the services of a Notary Public available to all our clients. David Higgins, Partner, has been appointed as a Notary Public and can provide notarial services in the City and Counties of Galway, Mayo, Clare, Tipperary, Roscommon and Offaly.

What is a Notary Public ?

A Notary Public is a person appointed by the Supreme Court to witness certain documents and to act for parties in non-contentious matters.

When do I need the services of a Notary Public ?

The services of a Notary Public are usually needed when a client is signing a document for use in a country other than the country in which the client resides. Often the signing of such a document will need to be witnessed by a Notary Public. This is a person whose signature is internationally recognised and accepted.

For what kind of transactions do I normally need the services of a Notary Public ?

You will normally need a notary where you are signing documents for use in a foreign country or where you need to send a certified copy of documents to a foreign country.

The normal types of transactions where a Notary Public is needed are as follows:

• Buying and selling foreign property or real estate.
• Setting up bank accounts in another country.
• Contracts for sales or supply of goods and services in a foreign country.
• Authenticating documents for use in a foreign country.
• Witnessing of affidavits or declarations for use in a foreign country.
• Executing powers of attorney.
• The making of a ships protest – this is a document recording the occurrence of an incident on board a ship (Maritime Law).
• Foreign adoptions – normally a Notary Public will be required to certify identity documents and authenticate other documents required by a foreign adoption authority where an Irish couple are adopting a child from a foreign country.

The list of transactions and matters is non-exhaustive. The fee charged by a Notary Public varies according to the type and amount of work undertaken by the Notary Public.