What work do notaries perform in many civil-law countries?

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illustration from Charles Dickens's Bleak House — Legal ethics Illustration by Hablot Knight Browne for Charles Dickens's *Bleak House*. Here Lady Dedlock is visited by her cunning old lawyer, who discovers her deepest secret and threatens to reveal it to her husband.

In many civil-law countries, the role of a notary is significantly more extensive than in common-law jurisdictions. Rather than simply authenticating signatures, the civil-law notary functions as a specialized lawyer.1

Their primary responsibilities include:

Legal Specialization: They focus on legal matters concerning real estate, sales, mortgages, and the settlement of estates.1
Document Preparation and Authentication: They draft and authenticate legal documents. Because of their professional oversight, these documents are admissible in court without further proof of authenticity.1
Guaranteeing Identity: The notary serves as a guarantor of the identity of the parties involved in a transaction.1

Unlike lawyers in these regions, however, civil-law notaries are generally prohibited from conducting court proceedings. This system ensures that legal documents are prepared with high professional standards, reflecting the ethical principle that legal transactions should be grounded in verified, reliable evidence to prevent fraud and ensure justice.1