Nazim El-Bardouh
Principal Solicitor, Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law & Notary Public
OUR EXPERTISE
Your Trusted Notary Public in Melbourne
Looking for a reliable notary public in Victoria? Our experienced senior lawyers specialize in certifying and attesting documents for international use. Contact us for expert notarial services.
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What is a Notary?
A notary public in Victoria is a senior lawyer who is responsible for certifying and attesting documents intended for use anywhere in the world.
Like other professionals, notaries appreciate clients making appointments prior to interviews, so they can be fully prepared.
Notarisation refers to any act that must be performed by a Notary Public.
This may include administering oaths and affirmations, taking affidavits and statutory declarations, witnessing and authenticating the execution of certain classes of documents, taking acknowledgments of deeds, preparing protest notes and bills of exchanges, and preparing marine protests in cases of damage.
We offer the following services:
- Certification of copies (including passports, educational qualifications and birth, death and marriage certificates)
- Notarisation of company documents (including minutes, resolutions, constitutions, shareholder agreements and certificates)
- Notarisation of trade mark documents
- Taking affidavits, statutory declarations, powers of attorneys, contracts/deeds, wills and security documents for use in overseas court cases; Notarisation of any document for use by an overseas government department or institution
- Advise on obtaining an Apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Thank you for choosing Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers’ Notary Public Services, all our Notarial services will be offered by our Principal solicitor Nazim El-Bardouh , Nazim is an experienced lawyer with over 10 years experience, he is also an accredited specialist in immigration law. Our Notarial Fees are the most competitive in the state of Victoria, we will charge you based on the time it actually takes for the Notary Signature, Stamp and Official Seal to be applied to the relevant document/s.
Notary Public Melbourne
Welcome to Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers, your trusted companion in legal document authentication. As your dedicated Notary Public in Melbourne, we are here to ensure that your documents are notarised accurately and efficiently, with a level of skill that comes from extensive experience.
What exactly is a Notary Public, you might wonder? In Victoria, a Notary Public is a senior lawyer, like those at Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers, who has the authority to certify and attest to documents for them to be valid internationally.
We value your time and the importance of your documents. That’s why we encourage appointments to be made, allowing us to be fully prepared to handle your notarization needs with the utmost attention.
Notary Services Melbourne
Our Notary Services in Melbourne goes beyond just stamping documents. At Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers, we provide a comprehensive suite of notarisation services tailored to your unique requirements in the language you prefer. Here’s how we can assist you:
Certifying Copies: Need copies of your passports, academic certificates, or vital records authenticated? We’ve got you covered.
Notarising Company Documents: From corporate minutes to shareholder agreements, we ensure your business paperwork is internationally recognised.
Trademark Document Notarisation: Protecting your brand starts with the right paperwork, notarised correctly for global use.
Legal Documents for Overseas: For a court or a government department abroad, we notarise affidavits, statutory declarations, and more.
Apostille Certification: We’ll guide you through obtaining an Apostille stamp from DFAT, simplifying the process of international document recognition.
Rest assured that when you choose Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers for your notary needs, you’re in the hands of Nazim El-Bardouh, our Principal solicitor. With over a decade of legal experience and a specialisation in immigration law, Nazim brings expertise and meticulous care to every document.
Notarial Fees
We believe in transparency and value when it comes to the fees of Notary in Melbourne. Our rates are some of the most competitive in Victoria. With Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers, you only pay for the time it takes to apply the Notary Signature, Stamp, and Official Seal to your documents – no hidden charges, no surprises.
The Society of Notaries of Victoria Inc. Council has approved the fees that we charge. It reflects a standard that respects both the notary’s expertise and the client’s budget since 1 July 2021. While Victorian notaries have the freedom to set their own rates, we at Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers pride ourselves on providing quality Notary Services in Melbourne at fair prices.
Notary Lawyer- Miscellaneous Fees and Charges
Our dedication to equitable pricing surpasses the notarisation act in its entirety. Our prices are in line with the First Schedule of the Victorian Practitioner Remuneration Order, should you require any additional services. Whether it’s photocopying, document preparation, or secretarial work, we make sure our fees are reasonable and clear.
In the world of legal services, Notary in Melbourne work is a fine art – one that demands clarity, legal know-how, and a personal touch. At Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers, we combine all three to give you a notarisation service that’s not just about witnessing signatures but about facilitating your global personal and professional engagements with certified assurance.
Personalised Notary Melbourne
Initiating a process requiring notarisation might appear daunting, yet with Bardo Zouki Noureddine Lawyers. It becomes an integrated part of your journey. As your trusted Notary Public in Melbourne, we are committed to providing notary services that are as personable as they are professional. We ensure that each client departs from our office with complete satisfaction and total confidence in their notarised documents.
Whether you’re an individual or a business, local or international, our Notary in Melbourne services are here to bridge the gap between your legal needs and the global requirements that come with them. Speak with our Notary Lawyer today and experience law firm notarisation with a human touch right here in Melbourne.
Notarial Fees
Our Notarial Fees are the most competitive in the state of Victoria, we will charge you based on the time it actually takes
for the Notary Signature, Stamp and Official Seal to be applied to the relevant document/s.
This scale of fees has been approved by the Council of The Society of Notaries of Victoria Inc.
as a benchmark scale for notaries and the public with effect from 1 July 2021.
Victorian notaries are free to set their own fees as the Society does not control fees that notaries may charge.
The items in the scale are listed “Without GST” and “With GST”
| 1 | Oaths, Declarations and Attestations | Without GST | With GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Administering an oath or affirmation, taking a declaration or attesting a signature (including, where applicable, completing a jurat or pre-printed acknowledgement or the like) without preparing and completing a notarial certificate | $110.00 | $121.00 |
| 1.2 | Administering an oath or affirmation, taking a declaration or attesting a signature and preparing and completing a notarial certificate | $180.00 | $198.00 |
| 1.3 | For each additional deponent, declarant or signatory at the same time | $80.00 | $88.00 |
| 1.4 | Preparing and completing an exhibit note or annexure certificate | $70.00 | $77.00 |
| 1.5 | Completing an exhibit note or annexure certificate prepared by others | $50.00 | $55.00 |
| 2 | Certifying Copy Documents | Without GST | With GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | (a) Preparing and completing a notarial certificate certifying one individual copy document (of up to five pages) | $180.00 | $198.00 |
| (b) For each further page of the individual document (beyond five pages) | $10.00 | $11.00 | |
| 2.2 | Where appropriate and acceptable in the receiving jurisdiction: | ||
| (a) certifying two to five individual copy documents (of up to five pages each) under one notarial certificate | $190.00 | $209.00 | |
| (b) for each additional copy document of up to five pages under the same certificate | $50.00 | $55.00 | |
| (c) for each further page beyond five pages of an individual document certified | $10.00 | $11.00 |
| 3 | Powers of Attorney in Private Form | Without GST | With GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Attesting a Power of Attorney in private form for use overseas and identifying the donor; and | ||
| 3.2 | Preparing and completing a notarial certificate as to the attestation of a Power of Attorney and certification of the donor's identity | $220.00 | $242.00 |
| 4 | Australian Academic Documents | Without GST | With GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Verifying an Australian testamur, academic document or record; and | ||
| 4.2 | Preparing and completing a notarial certificate as to the verification of an Australian testamur, academic document or record and certifying a copy thereof | $220.00 | $242.00 |
| 5 | Other Notarial Certificates | Without GST | With GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Preparing and completing a certificate of good standing of an Australian corporation | $450.00 | $495.00 |
| 5.2 | Preparing and completing a certificate of Australian law: | ||
| (a) up to three folios | $330.00 | $363.00 | |
| ( for each folio beyond three | $80.00 | $88.00 | |
| 5.3 | Preparing and completing a certificate in relation to any matter not otherwise specified in this scale: | ||
| (a) up to three folios | $180.00 | $198.00 | |
| (b) for each folio beyond three | $80.00 | $88.00 |
| 6 | Duplicates | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | For each of the first ten duplicate certificates provided | Half of the original fee | |
| 6.2 | For each duplicate certificate provided after the tenth | One-quarter of the original fee | |
| 7 | Authentic Form Documents | Without GST | With GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | Completing a notarial act in authentic form prepared by others, including one copy for the client and one copy for retention in the notary's protocol | $360.00 | $396.00 |
| 7.2 | Preparing a notarial act in authentic form, including one copy for the client and one copy for retention in the notary's protocol per folio | $120.00 | $132.00 |
| 8 | Ships' Protests | Without GST | With GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1 | Noting a protest prepared by a Ship's Master and entering in the register and providing one copy | $385.00 | $423.50 |
| 8.2 | Each further copy | $176.00 | $193.60 |
| 8.3 | Preparation of Extended Protest Note: Fees may also be charged in accordance with Item I above | As per Supreme Court scale | |
| 9 | Miscellaneous Fees and Charges |
|---|---|
| 9.1 | In relation to any matter not otherwise specified above, a notary may charge according to the First Schedule of the current Victorian Practitioner Remuneration Order in relation to matters such as:
|
| 9.2 | Notaries may recover all out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the supply of notarial services. |
Miscellaneous fees and charges
In relation to any matter not otherwise specified in the scale, a notary may charge fees in accordance with the First Schedule of the current Victorian Practitioner Remuneration Order in relation to matters such as:
- preparing documents other than notarial acts, including affidavits and declarations;
- providing photocopies;
- correspondence and perusals;
- attendances by telephone or otherwise;
- searching title or other searches; and
- clerical work by staff members.
Frequently Asked Questions
In order to use certain documents in a jurisdiction outside Australia, you may be required to have such documents legalised for use in that country. The rationale behind this is that individuals, organisations and government authorities want to know that a document or signature is authentic and when a document comes from another country, they may want an international certification. This is where a notary public comes in.
Notary publics have the authority to authenticate and witness documents and signatures on documents. Further steps in the legalisation process shall need to be carried out in order for the document to be used outside Australia. What is a Notary Public? A notary public, or notary, is a public officer, usually appointed by a State or Territory Supreme Court, and given statutory powers to witness documents, administer oaths, and perform other legal functions of a national and international nature.
A Justice of the Peace or solicitor in Australia may provide similar services, with the clear distinction that they are not allowed to witness documents for use in foreign countries. Notaries have this exclusive right and are the only true international solicitor in Australia. All Notaries’ seals and signatures must be officially recorded in a data base held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), who is authorised to issue apostille or authentication certificates certifying that the signatures, seals or stamps of Notaries on documents are authentic. In order to apply to be a Victorian Notary Public, you must be a Victorian Lawyer with at least 5 years of experience and have completed the prescribed Notarial Practice Course. The applicant may then apply to the Legal Profession Admission Board (the Board). Upon appointment, the name of the notary is entered on the Roll of Public Notaries maintained by the Board.
If a document is to be signed by an individual and witnessed by a notary public, the notary public shall need to verify the identification of the individual. This is a simple matter of the individual bringing 100 points of identification (such as a current drivers licence or passport) to the appointment. Please note that the notary shall require you to bring in original identification documents and it is at the sole discretion of the notary as to whether they accept the identification. If the document is to be signed by an authorised representative of a company, the authorised representative shall need to bring 100 points of identification and also documentation evidencing that that they are authorised to sign documents on behalf of the company. It is up to the notary to determine whether the evidence given is sufficient, and the notary may refuse to attest the signature of the authorised signatory in the event that they not satisfied. Please be aware the notary shall need to make and keep copies of the identification and authority documents for our records.
You will need to bring with you:
- 1. 100 points of identification such as a current passport or drivers license;
- 2. Original documents to be authenticated, certified as true copy or witnessed.
If you are signing documents for and behalf of a corporate entity, you shall need to additionally bring with you original documents to show that you are authorised to execute documents for such entity.
Yes. If you wish, we can attend your office or home to notarise documents. However, hourly rates shall apply for travel time.
If you require us to witness your signature on a document, we shall need to see you in person. If you require us to authenticate a document or certify a document as a true copy of an original, it is preferable if we can see you in person, however, you may instruct us from overseas and we shall not need to see you in person.
Yes. We have the expertise to assist with the process from end-to-end. We can:
- 1. Draft Powers of Attorney, proxies or board resolutions (if necessary);
- 2. Assist with translation of documents (if necessary);
- 3. Authenticate or witness signatures on documents;
- 4. Present the documents to DFAT for legalisation or an apostille certificate (if necessary);
- 5. Present the documents to the relevant embassy or consulate for attestation (if necessary); and
- 6. Forward the documents to your location anywhere across the globe (if necessary).
Yes. The legalisation process may require 3 different processes as follows (depending on the country where the document is to be used):
- (a) British dominions – if a document is to be legalised for use in a British dominion, the only legalisation requirement should be notarisation by an Australian notary public. Countries in the British dominion include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Island.
- (b) Hague Convention Countries – if a document is to be legalised for use in a Hague Convention Country (a country that has signed onto the Hague Convention), the document should first be notarised, before it is taken to DFAT for an apostille certificate. Click here for an updated list on Hague Convention Countries
- (c) Non-Hague Convention Countries – If a document is to be legalised in a non-Hague Convention Country (i.e. a country not on the list above such as the United Arab Emirates) the document shall need to be notarised, taken to DFAT and legalised and then the document shall need to be presented to the relevant embassy or consulate for attestation.
Please note that the above three steps are what one would generally expect to have to carry out in order to legalise your documents. However, different embassies or consulates may require additional documents or steps to be carri
This will depend on:
- (a) What you need legalised – if you require us to draft documents for you, we will need to receive your instructions and draft the requisite documents.
- (b) Translation – if translation is required, this adds an additional step, which will take more time. We can arrange for a NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators) translator to translate the document on your behalf.
- (c) The country the document will be used in – if the document is to be used (i) in a British Dominion, once the document is notarised it may be ready for use in a British Dominion (ii) in a Hague Convention country, once the document has been notarised, you shall only need for the document to be apostilled at DFAT or (iii) in a non-Hague Convention Country, you shall need the document to be legalised at DFAT and then the document shall need to go to the relevant embassy or consulate for attestation.
- (d) If you instruct us on an urgent basis – if you wish for us to legalise the document on an urgent basis, we shall endeavour to push the process through at an accelerated rate. Additional fees and disbursements shall apply accordingly.
- (e) If you are overseas – if you are overseas this shall take additional time as we shall need to receive documents to be authenticated, carry out the legalisation process and then forward the legalised documents back to you.
- (f) Legalisation requirements in the country of use – there may be additional legalisation requirements that need to be carried out in the country of use, prior to you being able to use it there. These requirements vary from country to country.Please give us a call so that we can give you an estimate on how long the process should take on an urgent or non-urgent basis.
If you are planning on travelling abroad to live the expat dream you may need certain documents legalised for use in that country. For instance, if you are married and moving to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with your spouse, you should take a fully legalised copy of your marriage certificate with you. This is so that you may show the authorities there that you are legally married, and as such, allowed to live together. It is against the laws of the UAE for an unmarried couple to live together. Just as important as your marriage certificate, you should arrange to have your credentials notarised and fully legalised for use in the United Arab Emirates. Prior to commencement of employment in the UAE, your employer may need to submit your fully legalised credentials to the UAE Department of Immigration in order to obtain your visa.
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