2016 - Notary Reforms

The notaries were appointed in about 16 municipalities as a result of notary reform introduced by the initiation of the Minister of Justice of Georgia in 2016. Kareli, Keda, Tskaltubo, Ambrolauri, Sartichala, Lentekhi, Tsalka, Borjomi, Dedoplistskaro, Mestia, Tsageri, Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda, Tianeti, Oni, Bakuriani – these are the municipalities where the notary office was not operated for years or the notary services were available. The population had to go to the nearest towns to get notary services. For example, Sartichala and Bakuriani had never had notary until 2016, the notary office did not operate in Mestia since 2006, in Tsgaeri - since 2008 ...

The Notaries will serve their people in the settlements for three years after which they will be permitted to continue their activities in the desired cities or municipalities.

Instead, the Notary Chamber of Georgia will provide the financial and material support for newly appointed notaries;

Under the Order of the Minister of Justice of Georgia, the notaries will be appointed in 2017 in the following areas:

Terjola, Vani, Adigeni, Aspindza, the village of Kachreti - these municipalities are still without a notary;

Martvili, Lanchkhuti, Chiatura, Kaspi, Dusheti, Tetritskaro, Akhmeta, Sagarejo, Kvareli, Signagi – the notary services are not properly available in these municipalities.

The qualifying exam of notaries and internship competition was held last year for the selection of the notary candidates in the mentioned municipalities. 

Notary Service in Public Centers

From 2016 the notary service became available in 4 more public centers.

By the initiative of the Minister of Justice of Georgia, the notary services were introduced in public centers since 2015. The Notaries serve the population in nine public centers. Kvareltskali (Akhmeta municipality), Mejvriskhevi (Gori Municipality), Mukhaestate (Kobuleti Municipality), Poka (Ninotsminda Municipality), Jvari (Tsalenjikha Municipality), Martkophi (Gardabani Municipality), Kabala (Lagodekhi Municipality), Geguti (Tskaltubo Municipality), Iormuganlo (Sagarejo Municipality) - these are the villages where the notary services are provided for the population in the public centers.

All necessary conditions are provided for the local population in the public centers to get any notary, including online services without any delay.

Notary services will be introduced in the rest of the centers in the nearest future. 

Campaign “Legal Advice from the Notary”

The campaign “Legal Advice from the Notary” started in 2016 has important results for us. The campaign aimed both to increase the awareness of notary services and legal awareness of the population.

The citizens are really in need of legal education. One of the main, in most cases even elementary reasons of property loss, damage as a result of transactions is lack of knowledge of legal issues. This is well evidences by calls, statements, questions entered in the Notary Chamber. For example, the citizens often lack the knowledge what rights they have to inheritance, how and in what term to obtain the succession certificate, which agreement is better to sign to ensure that their property will be protected, what rights to property they have during the marriage or at divorce ...

Tbilisi population actively used the action started within this campaign. Every Saturday, from 10:00 am to 04:00 pm, the notaries provided the free legal consultations for the population in the Notary Chamber office. 

The demand for notary services has significantly increased as a result of the advertising campaign. The Citizens had little information about the advantage of notarizing the agreement on lifelong maintenance, mortgage agreement, the obligations of successors .... During the last year, there has been signed about 239 agreements on lifelong maintenance, 35 689 loan agreements secured by the mortgage. 

Notary Mediation - a simple way for dispute settlement

Pursuant to the Law of Georgia “On Special Rules of Systematic and Occasional Registration on Land Rights and Cadastral Data Perfection within the State Project”, the registration of agricultural land simplified from first day of August 2016 and it became possible to settle the disputes by a mediator notary. With the assistance of notary mediation, about 80 property disputes between the citizens ended by conciliation. The Notary Mediation is free within the law.

The Mediator Notaries provide the dispute to be settled easily and quickly between the disputants, they try to find the desirable solution for both parties, equally protect the interests of the disputants. As a result, the dispute is settled not only by bargain, but reconciliation as well.

The Notaries were granted the function of mediator from 2013. It became possible to settle civil (neighborhood, lease, inheritance ...) disputes in notaries.

The Notary Chamber of Georgia is an active member of the International Union of Notaries

In 2016, the International Union of Notaries announced Georgia as one of the active members of the Union in the 6th plenary session of European Affairs Committee.

The Notary Chamber of Georgia became a member of the International Union of Notaries from 2007 and since then it is actively involved, participates and hosts many international conferences and meetings. Last year the International Conference of Notaries was held in Tbilisi due to the 20-year anniversary of the Georgian Notariat that was attended and participated by the Chairman of International Union and 14 member countries of the Union. The General Council Meeting of the International Union of Notaries is planned to be held in Georgia in May 2017.

The project, that foresees the translation of literature (mainly, European) in relation to notariat in the Georgian language, started in 2016. At the first stage the handbook “Property Law” by Manfred Wolf was translated. The project aims to improve the access to European Literature and provision of relevant and interesting information for the Georgian notaries.