Many notaries do all the notarial work for themselves including making the appointments, preparing and completing the documents and dealing with the records and administration. However, most notaries also practise as solicitors or have some other business and they rely on their secretaries and clerks and on the rest of the office to provide the practical backup that they need.
This handbook is intended to help you to provide that backup. In the text we have called all notaries "him" and all secretaries and clerks "her". This is to make it easier on the page and we apologise to the many female notaries and the occasional male secretary or clerk.