In the Philippines the notary is the scam. Only lawyers can be notaries. The lawyers association (the Bar) for each jurisdiction sets the fee. Any lawyer caug

In the Philippines the notary is the scam. Only lawyers can be notaries. The lawyers association (the Bar) for each jurisdiction sets the fee. Any lawyer caught charging lower than the standard fee is subject to sanctions. And what's the fee? It's a percent of the value of the contract. For land sales it's typically 2-3% in most jurisdictions. And of course, this scam hits the poor the hardest. They get stuck paying these preposterous fees while the rich just cut deals with the attorneys.