Question
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Question of the week

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26 July 2019

Apples and oranges

Wills, Powers, Estates & Family Provision Claims
Federal

Asked

General practice – Notarising original documents and certified copies

Can certified copies of documents be notarised by a Public Notary or is the original required? We cannot locate the original at all after making the relevant enquiries. Would we need a statutory declaration from the person who certified the document or the solicitor who prepared the document saying that they sighted the original?

Answered

Thank you for the question.

Only an original document can be notarised as being the original. A certified copy of a document can be notarised as being the original of the certified copy.

Whether the certified copy, notarised or not, is acceptable will depend on the purpose for which it is required.

A statutory declaration as suggested would only reiterate the certification, not elevate the status of the certified copy. A statutory declaration or affidavit regarding the circumstances of the loss of the original, the attempts made to locate it and attaching the certified copy might be accepted in place of the original, depending on the purpose for which the original is required. Alternatively, such a statutory declaration or affidavit might be sufficient to allow a replacement original to be obtained, depending on the type of document it is.

Regards

Mentor