If you’ve ever found yourself in need of a notary service or are curious about what it means to get something notarized, keep reading to learn the answer to the question: What is a notary?
This article will look at what a notary does, what the notarization process involves, what documents can be notarized, and where to find a notary near you.
What Is A Notary?
A notary (notary public) is an official appointed by the state government to serve the public as a fair. “Impartial witness in performing various official fraud-deterrent acts related to signing important documents.” These “official acts” are known as notarizations or notarial acts.
In other words, a notary witness that someone signing a document is who they say they are is willing to sign it and understands what it says.
A notary ensures the proper execution of a range of life-changing documents for private citizens. These documents include, but are not limited to:
- Property deeds
- Wills
- Powers of attorney
- Prenuptial agreements
- Medical records
Role Of A Notary
The public trusts that the Notary’s screening tasks have not been corrupted by self-interest. And impartiality dictates that a Notary never refuse to serve a person due to race, nationality, religion, politics, sexual orientation or status as a non-customer.”
The role of the notary is an important one. Aside from acting impartially, the notary must verify that all signatures on a document are legitimate. They do this by looking for a few things:
Identification
A notary typically requires a government-issued ID from anyone signing the document. In certain instances, it can attest if they know the individual signing the document.
Willingness To Sign
The notary will look for signs of coercion. Does it appear that the signer is signing on their own free will, or is someone forcing them to sign?
State Of Mind
A notary will also verify that the signer is in a state of mind to understand the document they are signing. For example, if a signer appears drugged, intoxicated, or otherwise unaware of what’s going on, the notary cannot notarize the document.
What Does a Notary Do? All About Notarization
Notarization comprises three distinct elements. During the first part of notarization, it screens the document signer for their:
- True identity
- Willingness to sign the document on their own volition, without coercion or intimidation
- Awareness of the contents of the document or transaction
Certain types of notarizations require the notary to put the signer under oath, declaring under penalty of perjury that the information in the form is true and correct.
What Do You Need To Get A Document Notarized?
Notarization typically requires proof of identity, so you will need to bring some form of government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.
If the notarization involves buying and selling, such as purchasing a previously owned vehicle, both buyer and seller must be present.
Elements Of A 1-Year Employment Contract You Must Know.
The law mandates that once an employer engages an employee, the employer shall inform the employee in writing of the following particulars, which are the essential elements of a contract of employment;
- the name and address of the employer;
- the period, if limited, for which the employee is engaged;
- the terms of probation, if any;
- the terms of any employment code;
- particulars of the employee’s remuneration, its manner of calculation, and the intervals at which it will be paid;
- details of the benefits receivable in the event of sickness or pregnancy;
- hours of work;
- details of any bonus or incentive production scheme;
- feature of vacation leave and vacation pay;
- charactericstics of any other benefits provided under the contract of employment.
A contract of employment that does not specify its duration or date of termination, other than a contract for casual work or seasonal work or the performance of some specific service, shall be deemed to be a contract without limit of time.
This means that an employment contract that does not specify when its ending or is silent on its duration is deemed to be one of a permanent nature. Still unclear on the essential elements of a 1-year employment contract? Click here.
The Conclusion
Requirements for authentication of documents vary from country to country. Hence, it is always important to contact a Notary as soon as possible to ensure that all the authentication requirements for that country are adhered to in time.
For example, many countries require authentication from a Notary Public and that the documents receive authentication from a body.
