For socially vulnerable categories of citizens — free notarized powers of attorney

On January 1, 2024, a law came into force that exempts citizens from paying state fees for notarization of powers of attorney to represent their interests in courts, state and municipal bodies and other organizations — if the document is required as part of receiving free legal assistance.

Innovations will further increase the availability of state free legal assistance for socially vulnerable categories of citizens. The right to such assistance is available to the poor, Heroes of Socialist Labor and Labor of the Russian Federation, disabled children and orphans, elderly people and disabled people living in social service organizations, teenagers serving sentences in prison, etc. Representation of their interests by lawyers or government employees legal offices are one of the established forms of support. In most cases, this requires a notarized power of attorney.

Now these categories of citizens will be able to issue a power of attorney for the court free of charge. To do this, you will need to present to the notary the agreement that the person entered into with a lawyer or legal office.

For many years, the notary, exclusively at its own expense, without attracting budget funding, has been providing a significant range of benefits. Most of them were developed by the notary on his own initiative. Every year, notaries perform several million preferential notarial acts.

A new measure developed by the Government has completed this complex. At the same time, for the first time in the 30-year history of the modern notary in Russia, the law provides for the possibility of compensation for these costs from regional budgets.

The notary is an active participant in the system of providing free legal assistance. As part of their professional activities, notaries advise citizens and entrepreneurs on issues of civil, family, land and corporate law. Let us remind you that all consultations on notarial acts are free.

In addition, notary chambers of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are permanent participants in social educational initiatives of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Russian Lawyers Association, etc. Every year, notaries from all over the country participate in events dedicated to the All-Russian Day legal assistance to children and many other similar actions.

source: Federal Notary Chamber