Obtaining a notarised deed is often not as expensive as you might think. This is particularly due to the fact that the notary does not charge any additional costs for consultation or the preparation of the draft apart from the fees for the notarisation itself – regardless of the deed’s complexity and volume.

Notaries charge fees according to a statutory fee system, which is based exclusively on the value of the matter. The legislator opted for this fee system because it offers a number of advantages to the parties involved:

• The costs are measured according to the economic importance of the transaction. This ensures even in matters with a low value of the matter that the notarial costs are not out of proportion to the economic value of the legal transaction.
• Since the complexity and amount of the working time spent by the notary are not relevant for the calculation, the notary can tell you the overall costs of a planned notarisation even before the definite commissioning. The notary's fees are therefore transparent and calculable.
• The consultation and the drafting of the deed are covered by the fee for the notarisation, regardless of its complexity or the amount of consultation required.
• Identical legal services trigger identical fees for every notary. The notary may charge neither higher nor lower fees than those set by statute.
• Finally, the notary's cost calculations is regularly checked by the supervising authorities.

Your notary will be happy to provide you with information about the costs to be expected – do not hesitate to ask him about this before the notarisation.