Approximately 11,000 lawyers practise as Notaries in this country. In contrast to advocates or judges, nobody really knows exactly what this profession does. Some see Notaries as only a costly and time-consuming bureaucracy for stamping real estate documents. However, the job of a Notary is much more than the mere witnessing of such contracts. German law requires their intervention in many business and commercial transactions, as well as in personal and family matters.
Notaries have an important role in the smooth operation of transactions within the community.
A constitutional state owes a duty of legal security to its citizens, and therefore disputes have to be settled, or, even better, prevented from happening. On the other hand, documents issued by a public institution have from the beginning a special importance and conclusiveness. The legislator has entrusted this function of an impartial, public institution primarily to Notaries. This special status is marked by the official seal, which is applied to all instruments issued by a Notary. Citizens, public authorities and courts of law can safely assume that the content of such notarial deeds corresponds with the facts, complies with law and statute, and that the signatories are indeed the parties involved.