Notaries and the accessibility effort
The image of the notary was not spared from the caricature.
Literature and cinema, in particular, have seized on his figure as that of the austere guardian of family secrets.
Sometimes placed at the heart of mysteries or strange plots, it seems to have this precious power conferred by knowledge of the law.
No doubt stereotypes always have a basis in truth.
It's heard.
But reality, less romantic, first draws the outlines of a trusted being, an advisor, a mediator.
Maître Anne-Laure Lopin observes the modernization of this profession.
She is happy about it.
Rejuvenation, feminization and effort to gain accessibility.
The law, by definition, is everyone's business.
If we had to determine one feeling for clients leaving the study, let it be one of understanding.
In this regard, our guest is categorical: “our language must have been audible to them”.
Long gone are the days of nodding, polite but embarrassed, to hide depths of perplexity.
Of course, legal concepts are not distinguished by their clarity, but from good communication comes trust.
It is necessary.
Support and enable anticipation
This is because the notary also has, and perhaps primarily, a symbolic role.
Public service delegation does not do everything.
Despite the constraint that pushes open the doors of the office (“I had to go to the notary…”), everyone has the right to expect support.
Throughout his life.
“We start with a marriage contract, then comes the first real estate acquisition, we want advice on the transfer of assets…”.
Loving oneself, finding accommodation, transmitting, anticipating: a series of ideas which punctuate existence and make the notary a benchmark to resolve concerns.
Buying real estate is undoubtedly an excellent example.
Only notaries are authorized to populate and modify the real estate file, it will therefore be necessary to authenticate the deed of sale and protect the rights of the parties in the event of a dispute.
However, more and more people are realizing that it is in their interest to consult before purchasing;
if only to secure it and ensure, for example, that it properly reflects the financing effort of each member of the couple.
This is perhaps even more striking when the question of succession arises.
Given the tax system in France, it is good to organize it.
Maître Anne-Laure Lopin testifies to these consultations, which are increasingly frequent, and which have no other purpose than to optimize the transmission of assets.
A valuable interlocutor because they are neutral
The profession evolves, but without losing its essence.
“We are amicable judges: what we write is law and we must ensure that the contract we enter into for our clients reflects the desired balance between them.”
Although the notary practices within a liberal framework, he is required to be impartial to guarantee the legality of legal transactions.
Impartiality and concern for precision.
New technologies, moreover, only accompany this spirit.
It is true that the “Covid crisis” has done a lot to reveal digital resources.
Maître Anne-Laure Lopin gives us the example of the “electronic minute minder” which facilitates the conservation of documents for seventy-five years.
Remote electronic documents have also revolutionized practice, allowing signatures and collaboration with colleagues on the other side of the country.
Or the world.
The notary will keep his public service mission, because this is his main mission, but there is no doubt that heritage support will continue to grow.
It is about the diversification of the profession.
Because it is a question of technicality and humanity, all at the same time, it is the notary's business.
Precisely.