notariales

Notariales refers to matters and practices related to notaries and notarial acts. In many jurisdictions, notaries serve as public officials who authenticate and oversee the execution of legal documents to ensure their validity and compliance with the law. Notarial work commonly includes drafting or formalizing deeds, contracts, wills, powers of attorney, mortgages, and company acts; certifying signatures; verifying the identity of signatories; administering oaths; and maintaining official records of acts.

Civil-law notaries (found in countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and much of Latin America) are typically highly trained lawyers who hold a public trust. Their acts are given public faith and often have immediate evidentiary effect in courts, reducing the need for further proof of authenticity. They provide professional guidance on form and sequence of transactions and ensure that documents satisfy statutory requirements.

In common-law systems, notably in the United States and parts of the Commonwealth, a notary public has more limited authority. Notaries primarily witness signatures, certify copies, and administer oaths or affirmations. They do not generally draft legal documents or offer comprehensive legal advice, and their acts serve primarily to authenticate and certify rather than to confer substantive legal effect.

International use of documents often requires additional steps, such as apostille or legalization, to recognize notarial acts abroad. Notarial archives or registers preserve records of acts for reference and evidentiary purposes. Notariales thus play a key role in formalizing and validating legal transactions, with the scope and authority of the role varying significantly by jurisdiction.