Notarial Services
Our Notary Public, Joseph Lukaitis is one of Australia’s leading and senior notaries. He is the immediate Past President of the Australian And New Zealand College of Notaries and Past President of the Society of Notaries of Victoria.
He is a regular presenter and lecturer to Notarial students and practising Notaries both in Australia and overseas.
For the best advice and action on your Notarial needs, please contact the office for an appointment.
Notary Appointments
It is necessary to make an appointment if you require notarial services. You must bring two forms of photographic identification with you (eg Passport and Driver License).
Please contact Nikita Keyes to arrange an appointment.
Fees
Notarial fees vary according to the number and type of documents required. The base fee is $198.00 plus GST. We are able to provide you with a more accurate cost estimate if you send your documents to legal@lukaitislawyers.com.au. Kindly note that fees are payable on the day of service.
A comprehensive scale of fees can be viewed at The Society of Notaries of Victoria or by clicking below.
Foreign Documents
Do you have an Australian document which you need to use in another country? Or, an overseas document to be signed in Australia? Whether it is powers of attorney, business contracts, medical documents, a transfer of land, estate documents, court documents or simply providing certified copies of documents such as certificates of birth, death or marriage you will need the services of a Notary Public.
What is a Notary?
Notaries Public are senior lawyers with a special post-graduate qualification who prepare, authenticate, attest, witness and certify original and copy legal documents for use overseas. They verify the validity of documents and the identity of a person signing a document under Australian laws. This is a very important function as it enables the document to be recognised by a foreign government and validly used in another country.
The Hague Convention
Under the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents of 1961, the office and seal of a notary is internationally recognised. Joseph Lukaitis of Lukaitis Lawyers was appointed a Notary Public in 1992 and can provide this important service as he is a duly appointed Notary Public for the State of Victoria. He will advise you about the type of certification required and whether any other documents are needed.
The Role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Even after a document has been notarised it may still need to be legalised with an Apostille stamp or authentication stamp affixed to it by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (“DFAT”) before being sent overseas. An Apostille is a stamp that DFAT affixes to the notarised document, which confirms the validity of the Notary. We are able to advise you on which countries require which type of legalisation.
Photographic Identification (ID)
It is essential that photographic ID – by way of either a passport or driver licence – is provided by you before your documents can be notarised. You will also need to provide evidence of your current address.As not all countries are signatories to the Hague Convention, we are able to advise you of the likely notarisation requirements of any particular country.
