Notarial deeds of signatures, donations, sales of real estate, company formations – you need notaries for many legally sensitive matters. But instead of making a pilgrimage, with few exceptions, you can do it all via the Internet and save time.
Services that are usually used analogue, such as consultation appointments and manual signing, are now possible digitally. “In total, this applies to more than 90 percent of our services. The only exceptions are wills or testamentary dispositions, which still have to be drawn up personally,” explains notary Ulrich Voit. In the future, even amicable divorces could be handled in this way to reduce the burden on the courts. Discussions are ongoing.
The advantage of the online services, which about a third of the 528 domestic notaries already offer, is that you save trips to the law firm and therefore time. This can be a great relief, especially for older people who are less mobile.
Power of attorney, purchase, creation of a company
The most common applications currently include notarizing signatures, health care powers of attorney for elderly relatives, travel powers of attorney for children with divorced parents, and real estate transactions. Buying or selling an apartment can already be handled completely digitally.
This is especially practical if one of the contractual partners or a family member is abroad and does not need to come to Austria specifically. For companies, for example, the company formation can be legally completed via video conference. Voit: “Consultation is also common, for example about succession plans for the company, possible capital measures, transfer of company shares and even entire shareholder meetings for which you no longer have to physically meet.”
Security via “ID Austria”
Of course, this must be done safely. The condition is that you meet certain legal requirements, as well as proof of identity and a good internet connection. In fact, a laptop or smartphone, an official photo ID and a valid mobile signature via the “ID Austria” app are sufficient.
The notary establishes the identity via a video conference and after the consultation and conclusion, all parties involved ‘sign’ with their electronic signature. The notary then applies his notarial signature and saves the document.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
