What is the difference between a JP and Notary Public?
Do I need to find a notary public or is a Justice of the Peace enough?
If you want someone to notarise your document and use it overseas then you will likely need a notary public. Justice of the Peace (JP) only witness documents, take oaths and verify copies of original documents for use in Australia. Whilst a JP can witness your documents that you want sent overseas, the receiver of your document might not accept it. In this respect, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will not accept a Justice of the Peace signature for Authentication or Apostillisation.
On the other hand, a notary public is a lawyer with at least 5 years of experience and who has completed a notary public course which allows them to notarise documents for use outside Australia. Our notary public has been working as a notary public for over 22 years so can help you navigate the notarisation process and help you meet your notarisation requirements.
It is important to point out that a JP is generally a voluntary role so the documents they witness are generally simple in nature and are not time consuming to complete certification.
If you want a lawyer to witness your signature for a document used in Australia, a witnessing fee will usually apply.
Please call our office on 03 9602 3988 for a quote. Alternatively, please send us an email at chuatan@tpg.com.au. You can read more about what we do here.
