In the Italian civil code legal system (differently from the common law legal system), the notaio, a legal notary or notary at law, not to be confused with a simple notary public who witnesses signatures in the Anglo-saxon common law system, is a public official and legal professional who guarantees the validity of documents such as contracts, deeds and wills. The notaio confers public trust, the status of legal proof, to the deeds and other documents he or she oversees.