You have probably, at least once in your life, needed to get some sort of document notarized, and therefore, you met with a notary public. But have you ever wondered who these people are and what their job is exactly? In the following text, we are going to tell you more about this line of work.
First of all, what is a notary public? It is an individual that was named by the state (usually the secretary of the state) to oversee the signatures of important documents, like wills and contracts as an impartial third-party witness. Their main job is to ensure that people who are signing some document have given their real information, and are not committing fraud. Also, they have to verify that people are aware of all conditions and details, and are not forced to sign a certain legal paper.
There are two types of notary – common-law and civil-law notary. The former ones are not lawyers and they are forbidden to give their clients any kind of legal advice. On the other hand, the latter ones are actual lawyers, since they have passed the bar, and clients can turn to them for any sort of legal advice.
So, what kind of services can a notary provide you with? One of their main services is the notarization of documents. It isn’t simply putting a stamp on a piece of paper; it is more complicated than that. In order to get a document notarized, for example, a contract for buying a house; they require all kinds of documentation, from the personal information of both sides, both buyer and a seller, as well as the records regarding the property. They have to check them all, ensure that everything is according to the law, that no one is trying to commit fraud, and only then will they put their stamp and signature on that paper.
In the past, people would have to schedule an appointment and go personally if they needed any kind of services, but nowadays, everything can be done online. One can simply connect with the notary online via video call, upload the document, verify his identity and sign them while to notary is overseeing it, and they will get back the notarized document quickly.
Furthermore, one can also ask for a mobile notary services that many notary public agencies provide, like www.dcmobilenotary.com. These come often in handy, especially when a person cannot go to the office. All one has to do is to call, make an appointment for a certain day and time, and the official will meet them wherever they choose. These services are beneficial if many people have to sign a certain document, and they cannot go to the office at the same time, or when elderly people what to get their last will notarized but are too ill to leave their home.
All in all, we have tried to present to you who these officials are, what their job is and how you can benefit from their services. Nowadays, since almost every document needs their signature, there are many notary public agencies available everywhere.
Nicola Holder 