If you are buying or selling property abroad, you may opt to give your lawyer power of attorney to deal with the legal documentation on your behalf. This is a practical solution if you are not based in the same country as the property. Your lawyer will prepare the power of attorney document for you to sign in the presence of a notary. The notary will check your identification, witness you signing the document and confirm that you understand the legal nature of the document that you are signing. Provided that the notary is happy that you want the document to be legally binding, he will notarise the document by signing and stamping it.The formalities of the document are determined by the country that you are dealing with. For example, the notary may be asked to attach a certified copy of your passport to the document, or a passport sized photograph or you may require other witnesses in addition to the notary. If you need to sign a power of attorney for use overseas, we will ask you to send us the document and the notarisation instructions from your lawyer so that we can confirm the costs and procedure and ensure that your notarised document meets the legal requirements of the country you are dealing with.