What are you searching for?
What are you searching for when you're looking for a notary public? From our statistics, it's interesting to note that the most popular search terms for notaries are "free notary", "cheap notary" or "cheapest notary". But no one searches for "best notary". When it comes to other areas of law, such as family law, property law, immigration law or litigation, the search terms often include "best" - but not for notary public services. Why is that?
Unfortunately, when it comes to notary public services, it seems that many people undervalue the importance of correct information, wise advice, and good service (until it's too late). They only want it if it's free (and complain when it's not) or they want the cheapest, regardless of whether it's done quickly or even correctly. But that doesn't really make sense or otherwise, it's very short-sighted. Often people only regret their decision afterwards, which is how sometimes we become involved when they want someone to 'fix' what others have done or haven't done properly.
There's a saying that 'a poor man pays twice'. Do you know the meaning?
You get what you pay for
If someone is inexperienced or lacks expertise, how do you think they manage to still provide notary public services? It's quite simple. They undercut everyone else in terms of price and try to be the cheapest. They may even go as far as to offer free notary public services (although this is highly unlikely considering that notaries in Australia are qualified lawyers). If this is what attracts you to choose their services, then all the best to both of you.
"You get what you pay for" isn't just some cliche. Everything comes at a cost - it's just basic economics. To say that something is free isn't entirely true. If you receive something for free, it just means you didn't pay for it, but it still costs something to someone. It could be time, money or other resources, but either way, it's come at a cost. If you don't pay anything for it, do you value it or is it considered free because it has no value?
If you think about the thing you're trying to do in India that requires you to have notary public services, how much is that worth to you?
Getting it wrong can be more expensive
Are you searching for "free notary" or "cheapest notary" because notary public services are not important or that it's all the same (ie, it doesn't matter who you see to have your documents notarised)? In case you're not sure, the answer to both questions should be a resounding "No".
Most people need notary public services because they're dealing with important issues relating to property, business or personal matters. Some of those issues have serious financial, legal and personal consequences, and that's mistakes can be costly - both in time as well as money. Even if you can afford to pay more to get things fixed or done again, you can't turn back time.
If someone has gone to the trouble or the expense of preparing legal documents and has asked you to have those documents notarised, this generally means that those legal documents are really important and signing them in front of a notary underlines that importance. Does it then mean you can do whatever you like with your documents or just sign your document in front of anyone? No, but unfortunately many people don't read or follow instructions properly, and to make things worse they also don't ask or check.
If your documents originate from or are being signed in Australia, but they're intended to be used in India then in most cases your documents MUST be notarised by a notary public in Australia. If you or someone else have already gone to the trouble of preparing your documents, isn't it justified to ensure that those documents are properly notarised in Australia before sending them to India? What's not justified is spending time and money preparing your documents only to have them incorrectly signed or notarised and having to do it all over again.
Cheap. Fast. Good.
Have you heard this before? If you want it cheap and you want it fast, then it probably won't be good. If you want it fast and good, it probably won't be cheap. If you want it cheap and good, it probably won't be fast.
If you want a realistic appraisal of what we do, it's fast and it's good - and while we're not cheap, we're certainly not expensive either.
Why us?
We've provided notary public services for nearly 20 years and we know a thing or two about providing notary public services - especially to the Indian community. We've seen other lawyers and notaries come and go. We've also seen the quality of their work or heard, through clients, the advice that they provide - unfortunately, that advice is not always correct and their service is often lacking. Experience and expertise count for something - but it's not cheap, but it's not overly expensive either. The cost of our services is exactly where it's meant to be as many of our clients will agree. Maybe the first thing you should do is search for "best notary".
What next?
To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/notary-fees/.
Acknowledgements
This blog is supported and maintained by Phang Legal. Phang Legal is a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney. With offices conveniently located in Parramatta, Phang Legal supports and services the Indian community across Sydney with readily available and easily accessible notary public services at highly competitive rates.
Frequently asked questions regarding our notary public services can also be found at https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/faqs/.
Ern Phang
Notary Public
Ern Phang is the solicitor director of Phang Legal and a notary public. Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public, including the kinds of problems and solutions that his clients face when sending documents to India.
IMPORTANT: the information in this article is correct at the time of publication, however, the law constantly changes. This means you should always refer to the most recent articles because we try to update this blog on a regular basis with the most current information.
