What Is Document Notarization?

Many of the activities in your professional or personal life require some form of paperwork or documentation. The required documents vary from state to state and may have to be notarized. A public official or government organization will typically do the notarization of your certificates and documents. Here is what you need to know about document notarization.

Overview of Document Notarization

Notarization is the vetting and authentication of certain documents. Notarized documents typically contain crucial legal or financial information. The process usually occurs for documents that require substantial trust in all the parties named in a document. Notarization also helps prevent fraud.

The process of authorization usually happens in the presence of a public notary. The notary is an individual who has official powers to verify the identities and signatures of people named in a document. That means that the notary public must be present when the document signing occurs. Today, the process of verifying identities and signatures can happen online.

Benefits of Document Notarization

Document notarization has many benefits, including the following.

Prevent Forgery and Fraud

Scammers have become bolder and can forge signatures and steal identities. A trustworthy notary helps to verify the identity and signature of a person to deter fraud.

Make a Document More Credible

If you are handling a crucial transaction, the notary signature you can make your documents more valuable. You can get the notarization even for documents that don’t usually require authentication.

Avoid Appearing in Court

Since the notary public authenticates a document, signatories to that document don’t have to appear in court to verify the document. Instead, the court will just accept the document as evidence during a trial.

Documents That Require Notarization

Here are the common types of documents that require notarization.

Estate Planning Documents

Estate planning forms and documents that have details concerning legal responsibility and ownership require notarization. For instance, you may have to notarize your trust and wills. Documents that talk about the power of attorney, executorships, guardianship, custody agreements, and advanced directives also require notarization.

Employment Contracts

Whenever you start a job, you have to sign a contract with your employer. The contract specifies your duties, compensation, conditions, and terms of employment. You might hire a lawyer to go over the contract and give you advice, but you may still have to ask a public official to notarize the contract. Notarizing the employment contracts shows that you have agreed to work for your employer.

Mortgage Documents

Mortgage documents are usually essential whenever you buy, sell, or transfer the ownership of a property. Some law firms require that you provide notarized documents before they can handle the transaction, but not all mortgage documents require authorization. Get advice from your lawyer to know which documents will require notarization.

Passport’s Parental Consent

When a minor applies for a passport, they have to present the signatures of both parents. If one parent has legal custody of the minor, then that parent’s signature is enough. In some cases, a parent or guardian who doesn’t have sole legal custody might want to apply for a passport for a minor without the signature of the other parent.

The other parents will have to complete and notarize a form that provides consent for the applying guardian or parent to apply for the passport.

Medical Authorization for Minors

A medical authorization for a minor is a legal document that authorizes another person to get or provide medical care for a child. The documents usually come from the parents and are used by trusted friends, coaches, teachers, babysitters, daycare providers, or grandparents. Once you notarize the document, the person can make critical healthcare decisions for your child.

Do you want to notarize a document? NB Notaries provides timely notary services at low rates. We also offer escrow and legal services. Contact us for more information.