In Louisiana, people can avail themselves of notarial services that will accomplish for them transactions that in all other states would require them to go to lawyers. That’s because Louisiana’s civil law system provides for most legal transactions between people to be accomplished by executing a notarial act.

A properly prepared notarial act is recognized at the courthouse as self-proving. Persons who know what they need and want, and who don’t want or need legal advice,  can make their contracts, testaments, property transactions, and other juridical acts by going before a Louisiana notary public. A Louisiana notary is authorized to prepare and authenticate generally all instruments of writing, such as affidavits, acknowledgments, and authentic acts including but not limited to

  • Acts affecting both movable and immovable property, such as
    • Security agreements, mortgages
    • Acts of sale, donation, or exchange
  • Bond-for-deed
  • Notarial acts of adult adoption
  • Acts of limited emancipation
  • Guarantee letters
  • Power of attorney
  • Affidavits of heirship
  • Small successions
  • Wills
  • Trusts
  • Real estate transfers and related acts
  • Partitions of property
  • Incorporation
  • Partnership agreements
  • Limited Liability Company
  • Matrimonial agreements
  • Public inventories
  • All contracts in authentic form

Only in Louisiana are citizens so empowered as to be able to go to a notary for their juridical acts.