Lawyer authorisation of corporate documents in Košice. From 17 August, a certified signature is no longer enough.

Which type of authorisation is this?

Authorisation under § 1a of the Legal Profession Act applies to both corporate documents and real estate transfer agreements. Its effects differ according to the type of document:

• Authorisation of corporate documents, covered on this page. This applies from 17 August 2026 following the amendment introduced by Act No. 29/2026 Z. z.; its substance is governed by § 1a of the Legal Profession Act. It applies to formation documents, business interest transfer agreements, shareholders’ agreements and the other acts listed below. Its effects concern the Commercial Register, where authorisation is an equivalent alternative to a notarial deed.
• Authorisation of a real estate transfer agreement, a separate service. This is also governed by § 1a of the Legal Profession Act. Its effects concern the cadastre. An authorised agreement does not require official certification of the transferor’s signature, the cadastral authority reviews the agreement on a narrower basis and decides within a shorter period.

Neither is the same as signature certification, which confirms only who signed the document, without examining its content. During authorisation, the lawyer drafts and legally assesses the document and is responsible for its compliance with the law.

Where and when you sign

During authorisation, the lawyer is legally required to establish the identities of the parties to the agreement and their representatives (§ 1a and § 1ab of the Legal Profession Act), so signing itself takes place in person. We sign at our office in Košice, or in Brno by arrangement. We agree an appointment in advance, so you do not wait and are not tied to office hours.

In practice, this means the service is primarily intended for clients from Košice and the surrounding area, including Prešov, Michalovce, Trebišov, Spišská Nová Ves and Rožňava. Agreement preparation and comments, communication and Commercial Register filing are handled remotely, with an in-person meeting only for signing.

Which documents require the new form from 17 August 2026?

For most acts, the law offers two equivalent forms: a notarial deed or a document authorised by a lawyer. However, certain resolutions of a company with multiple shareholders require a notarial deed exclusively. In those cases, we also prepare the documents and arrange filing of the application for entry; the notary certifies the proceedings of the general meeting.

Act	Mandatory form from 17 August 2026
Memorandum of association or deed of foundation when forming an s.r.o., whether with one or multiple shareholders	notary or lawyer authorisation
Business interest transfer agreement, whether transferring to a shareholder or a third party	notary or lawyer authorisation
Shareholders’ agreement under § 220w(3) of the Commercial Code for a simple joint-stock company	notary or lawyer authorisation
Selected sole shareholder resolutions under § 127a(4) and § 132 of the Commercial Code	notary or lawyer authorisation; the required form of other resolutions must be assessed separately
Draft terms of a cross-border reorganisation or cross-border change of legal form	notarial deed or lawyer authorisation
For selected general meeting resolutions of a multi-member s.r.o. under § 127a(4) of the Commercial Code, the proceedings are certified by a notary	notarial deed exclusively
Application for entry in the Commercial Register, i.e. representation of the applicant in registration proceedings	only a lawyer, notary or employee

Source: Act No. 29/2026 Z. z. on the Commercial Register and amended provisions of the Commercial Code (§ 57, § 115, § 132, § 220w), Act No. 309/2023 Z. z. on company reorganisations (cross-border reorganisations) and the Legal Profession Act (§ 1a and § 1ac, concerning authorisation and the authorisation register). The text is available at slov-lex.sk. Documents signed before 17 August 2026 in the previously applicable form remain valid.