About Peggy Dukkers

In 1975, I completed my study in Civil Law at the University of Amsterdam and began working in the office of a notaris. As a lawyer. I did the same work as a candidate notaris ( a notaris who has not yet been appointed a seat). In 1980 I relocated to Northern California (USA) where I worked as an intern at a law office in San Francisco, and took some courses at Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley. In 1984 I returned to the Netherlands and took a position at the notaris office where I had worked previously.

In 1989, I decided to pursue my own career in notarial law and completed my studies at the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) in Amsterdam in 1992. Since 1998 I have established my own practice in Nieuw Sloten, a new suburb of Amsterdam, conveniently located minutes from Schiphol Airport. Although I am obliged to have my office in this area of Amsterdam, it does not limit me in any way to do business with anyone anywhere else in the world.

How to become a notaris?.
After one has finished the notarial law studies at the university, one is considered to be a candidate notaris. Master of law (meester in de rechten), abbreviated to "Mr" is the title that is given to a person who has graduated from a law school at a university. A candidate notaris, who has worked a minimum of six years as such, can apply for an existing seat, either when a notaris has died or has reached the age of 65. In theory this is an open application. But since many civil law notaries work in a firm, the partners have a say in who will be the successor. Big firms may also create a new notaris-seat by applying to the Government when business/turnover allows. In that manner a new partner is added to the firm. A candidate notaris may also create their own seat, like I have. The seat always has to be approved by the government, and the notaris then has to be appointed.

Further information
There are only about 1600 notaries in a country of 16 million inhabitants, and in Amsterdam there are about 160 of us. They either have their own practice or work in a firm that includes attorneys at law (advocaten) and/or tax-advisors. 85% of the notaries in the country are male. In Amsterdam there are about 30 female civil law notaries.