Frequently asked questions

Yes, in the jurisdictions we operate in. Commonwealth statutory declarations can be made by video link under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (Cth), and New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory each permit audio-visual witnessing by a prescribed witness. An Australian legal practitioner is a prescribed witness in every one of them, and the endorsement on your document records that it was witnessed that way.

An Australian legal practitioner. The practitioner is named on the document, with their capacity and the fact the signature was witnessed by audio-visual link.

The remote witnessing laws in most states restrict video witnessing to a narrower class of witness than the list who can witness in person. Queensland, for example, allows a statutory declaration to be witnessed by video only by a special witness, a class that includes Australian lawyers but not most JPs. A JP is still a perfectly good witness across a desk. That is why our witnesses are lawyers.

The document carries an endorsement naming the practitioner and recording that the signature was witnessed by audio-visual link, which the laws of the jurisdictions we cover allow. Individual recipients can set their own requirements for their own forms, so if a form says how it must be witnessed, check it before you book.

No. Auswitness is a witnessing service. The practitioner confirms who you are, watches you sign and signs as witness. They do not advise on what the document says, draft it for you or check whether it is true. If you need advice on the content, see a solicitor first.

Statutory declarations, Commonwealth and state. Affidavits for courts and tribunals. Some deeds and contracts that need a witness to a signature, where the law allows them to be witnessed by audio-visual link. We can't tell you whether your particular document may be witnessed that way – if you're unsure, check with whoever asked for it. If the practitioner can't witness a document, the session ends and you aren't charged.

Wills and codicils, enduring powers of attorney, advance care and health directives, and land title and property registry instruments including mortgages and transfers. For those, see a JP or solicitor in person.

For a Commonwealth statutory declaration, yes. The Commonwealth Act applies nationally and it does not matter where the person is sitting. What we cannot witness is a document made under Western Australian or Tasmanian law, such as a WA statutory declaration or a Tasmanian affidavit, because neither state permits audio-visual witnessing. We have written up why in an article.

Each person who signs needs their own identity check and their own time on camera, so each signatory is a separate session. Each session is charged separately. If your document needs two or more signatories, get in touch before you start.

Yes, at the same $39 per document. If your business has regular volume, make an enquiry through the enterprise page and we'll talk about monthly invoicing.

Usually about ten minutes end to end. Uploading the document and photographing your ID takes a few minutes, then the call. On demand, you connect when a practitioner is available during our hours; if none is, book a time instead.

Your document as a PDF or Word file, unsigned. An unexpired photo ID. A phone or computer with a camera and microphone. If you only have a paper copy, photograph each page and we turn the photos into a PDF. Do not sign anything before the call: a signature made before the practitioner is watching is not witnessed, and the document has to be done again from a clean copy.

An Australian driver licence, an Australian passport or a foreign passport, all unexpired. You photograph the front and back of the licence or the photo page of the passport, take a selfie, and the practitioner checks both against you on the call. It has to be the physical card, not a screenshot of a digital licence, and it has to be the identity of the person signing.

Sessions run weekdays 12:15pm – 1:30pm and 5:30pm – 9:00pm, Saturdays 9:00am – 6:30pm and Sundays 9:00am – 8:30pm, Brisbane time. Outside those hours you can still book a time. Not every slot is available, so check the calendar.

Yes. Pick your state, your document type and a time, that's available. Appointments need at least 30 minutes' notice and the room opens ten minutes early. You can also connect on demand during our hours when a practitioner is available.

The practitioner checks your ID against you, and confirms which document you are signing. You sign on screen while they watch, and they sign as witness and add the witnessing endorsement. The call is recorded as part of the witnessing record.

From $39 per document. The price is shown before you book or connect, and it is charged after the document is witnessed, not before. There is nothing to pay if your document isn't witnessed.

As soon as the call ends and payment goes through, the witnessed PDF and your receipt are ready to download, and a copy goes to your email. If you have an account the document stays there, so you can download it again later.

Yes. Witnessing records, including the document and the recording of the call, are stored on Australian servers and generally kept for about seven years, in line with standard legal file retention. Card details are handled by Stripe and are not stored by us.

If the practitioner cannot witness your document, because it is a type we do not cover, the ID does not check out or the document has already been signed, the session ends there and you are not charged. If a recipient rejects a document we have witnessed, contact us with their reasons.

You are only charged once the witnessing is complete, so a refund does not usually arise. If you are charged in error, or a session could not be completed for a reason on our side, we refund the amount. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply on top of that.