Lithuanian business leaders trust notaries most of all legal profession - survey by VILMORUS

The majority of Lithuanian entrepreneurs and business managers trust notaries the most among legal professions and positively evaluate innovations related to notarial actions.

According to a survey conducted by the Public Opinion and Market Research Center "Vilmorus", as many as 88 percent of the surveyed managers and responsible persons of Lithuanian companies trust notaries the most among ten legal professions and institutions.

Second on the trust table are policemen (78%), lawyers take the third place (61%).

Compared to 2021, when business leaders were interviewed during a similar study, confidence in notaries increased by 7 percent. points, police officers - 4 percent. points, trust in lawyers decreased by 2 percent. points.

The top three are followed by judges (46%), employees of the State Security Department (44%), the Ministry of Justice (40%), prosecutors (39%), employees of the Special Investigation Service (38%), Competition Council (35%), judicial officers (34%).

The absolute majority, 55 per cent of business leaders favor the possibility of performing remote notarial acts which was legalized in 2021.

Five per cent of respondents evaluate satisfactorily, 11% negative or rather negative, 29% did not know or could not answer this question.

Lithuanian business leaders had a clear opinion on marriage issues as well.

When asked by the researchers how they evaluate the procedure that came into force at the beginning of 2023, when a notary can notarize a divorce if there is no dispute between the spouses and minor children, 69 percent evaluated this innovation positively or rather positively.  Of those interviewed, 3 per cent evaluated as satisfactory, negative or rather negative - 8%, did not know or did not answer - 20%.

Legalized by the amendments of The Law on the Notarial Profession on July 1, 2021, remote notarial actions are rapidly becoming popular.

By June 1, 2023, 21.6 thousand remote notarial acts have already been performed, and in May alone, a record number of notarial acts were performed remotely - 3,129. The most common actions performed remotely are real estate contracts, mortgage and pledge transactions, confirmation of powers of attorney.

An increasing number of residents take advantage of the earlier this year legalized option to dissolve a marriage at a notary if there is no dispute between the spouses and minor children.

Since the beginning of the year, notaries have approved more than 1.6 thousand actions related to divorce by mutual consent, division of property acquired during marriage, conclusion of agreements on the consequences of separation, divorce with or without joint ownership, etc.

Commissioned by the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries, "Vilmorus" interviewed 400 managers and responsible persons of Lithuanian companies, proportionally representing all economic sectors throughout Lithuania, on May 10-17, 2023.