Introducing Latitude Notary Public
Signed. Sealed. Sorted.
Latitude Legal Group now includes a full-service notarial practice, Latitude Notary Public.
On 3 July 2026, Michael D. McLaws, our Principal Lawyer & Director, was sworn in as a Notary Public for Queensland. That means we can now assist individuals, families, and businesses with documents that need to be verified, certified, or authenticated for use outside Australia.
It also adds another practical layer to our cross-border and international capability.
A full-circle moment
The appointment was also a personal milestone. Michael took his oath of office before Her Honour Judge Deborah Richards of the District Court of Queensland, whom he had the privilege of serving as associate early in his legal career.
Starting out as a judge’s associate, and later returning to be sworn in before Her Honour as a Notary Public, was a genuine full-circle moment. It was also a reminder that Latitude Legal has been shaped by Michael’s own international journey: a life and career across borders, now used to help clients manage the practical legal requirements that arise when documents, families, businesses, and opportunities extend beyond one jurisdiction.
What does a Notary do?
When a document needs to be recognised overseas, a Notary Public is the professional authorised to verify, certify, and authenticate it for international use. A notary’s signature and seal help foreign courts, governments, banks, universities, companies, and other institutions rely on the document.
In Queensland, notaries are experienced senior lawyers who must satisfy additional admission and appointment requirements. That matters because notarial work is often more than witnessing a signature. It can involve checking identity, capacity, authority, corporate status, the destination country’s requirements, and whether the document needs an apostille or consular legalisation after it is notarised. Because notarial acts are relied on internationally, the appointment carries a high standard of trust, independence, and professional responsibility.
For business and corporate clients, notarial work can be critical where overseas parent companies, regulators, banks, transaction counterparties, or professional advisers require reliable evidence of corporate authority, identity, status, execution, or governance. This may include board resolutions, director certifications, ASIC records, powers of attorney, certificates of good standing, financial documents, and other corporate records required for international dealings.
How we can help
We assist with notarial services for personal, legal, and business documents intended for use overseas, including:
witnessing and certifying signatures on documents for international use;
certified true copies of passports, identity documents, qualifications, and certificates;
statutory declarations, affidavits, powers of attorney, and authority documents for use overseas;
company and corporate documents, including director certifications, board resolutions, ASIC records, and certificates of good standing;
guidance on document authentication and legalisation, including DFAT apostilles and consular legalisation; and
For clients with Canadian requirements, Michael’s extended capability as a Canadian-qualified lawyer and a Notary Public for Alberta may also provide a practical pathway where an Alberta notarial act is specifically required. This can help eligible clients avoid unnecessary delay, cost, or overseas document handling.
More broadly, our notarial practice remains focused on helping clients prepare documents for recognition wherever they need to be used outside Australia.
Getting started
If you need notarial services, the first step is to email us a copy of the document, tell us the destination country, and explain what the receiving authority has asked for or what you are intending to do. We will review the document, confirm whether we can assist, and provide a fixed-fee quote before you book your appointment to visit us.
For more information about our process, services, and fees, visit our Notary Public page on our website.
We look forward to helping you get your documents signed, sealed, and sorted.