An authenticated document is a private document the parties confirm before the lawyer to be their own will. It is worth the same as a document drawn up by a notary and is accepted by the registries, the tax authority and the banks. The difference is time: it is done on the spot, without an appointment.
What is covered
Contracts and declarations
Sale and purchase, loans, gifts, employment contracts and declarations intended for public services or for foreign authorities.
Powers of attorney
Authority to act for someone who cannot attend, with the scope written so that it leaves no doubt for whoever receives it.
Special powers
Selling or charging property, operating accounts and acting in an estate division all require express powers in the proper form, or the document will not serve.
Revocation and delegation
Withdrawing powers already given, or passing them to someone else, with the notice that makes the revocation effective against third parties.
What to bring
These acts are done on the spot when the documents come complete. If one is missing, the act waits until it arrives.
- Valid photo identification for whoever is signing
- The document to be authenticated, already drafted, or the details for the office to draft it
- Company registration certificate and tax number, where a company is signing
This page describes the practice in general terms. Every case turns on its own facts and on the stage it has reached, so nothing here replaces looking at the file itself.