Notaries Public do many things, but the four most common are these below:1. Acting as a guarantor for documents that will be used abroad – anything from a Power of Attorney to buy a house in France to swearing a witness to an Affidavit that is to be used in a court case in Sydney.2. Preparing certificates of English law for use in court cases abroad.3. Entering notes of protest for the Masters of Merchant Vessels.4. Noting and Protesting Bills of Exchange (a way of paying for international transactions).I've got to be sure that I know:1.Who you are2.You are able to do what you intend to do3.You understand the papers in front of you and4.You intend to be bound by whatever it is that you are signingThis is usually easy when it's an individual and the document is in English but it can be tricky if it's say a Limited Company giving a Power of Attorney which is written in Thai. I can arrange for translations to be made, and in some cases I will need to check that the foreign text says what it ought to say.For individuals I will need to have proof of who you are and where you live (so passport and driving licence). For companies I will probably have to obtain some documents from Companies House as well.