At some point in life, especially if you work in any legal field, you require your document to be Notarized. At that point, you will need a notary public to notarize the document for you. However, there are various reasons why you may need your documents notarized.
What is a notary public?
A notary public, or simply a notary, is a trustworthy witness who signs critical papers such as powers of attorney, wills, trusts, and legal depositions. State governments appointed and commissioned notaries as public officials, placing them in a fiduciary relationship and responsibility.
What is notarization?
There are three elements to notarizations or notarial acts:
- The notary verifies the signer’s identification, desire to sign, and understanding of the document’s contents.
- To authenticate the document’s legitimacy, the notary stamps and signs it.
- For documentation purposes, the notary notes the act in a notary journal.
Here are some benefits of document Notarization
There are several reasons to notarize a document, even if it is not required by law. This system has been in existence for millennia for a reason:
- Deter fraud and forgery: In a society where con artists prey on any unsuspecting victim, having a credible notary authenticate a signer’s identity gives an added degree of security when putting important papers in place.
- Ensure legal protection: Notarizing your papers might help you avoid contract disputes and lawsuits.
- Increase the document’s legitimacy: Many documents aren’t legally binding unless they’ve been notarized. Although not all documents require notarization, it is advantageous since a notary’s stamp and signature add to the document’s inherent worth and legitimacy.
- Avoid the requirement for a witness to present in court: a notarized document is deemed self-authenticating under evidence law. This implies it can be used as evidence in a court of law without further verification that it is what it seems to be. As a result, a notarization eliminates the need for the witness to be present, saving time and money in the process.
- Credibility. When a high level of confidence is required, notarized papers are vital. That is why, until a document is notarized, it is not regarded as legally binding. Because a notarized document has legal weight, it gives you greater credibility and authenticity when dealing with other parties.
When to notarize documents
Although the notarization procedure appears difficult, it is rather simple. This is especially true when it comes to notary services. You may get your documents notarized either online or in person.
Remote notarization is extremely handy and time-saving because it just takes a few minutes to upload and notarize your papers. On the other hand, the notary agent can come to your location if you need to have your documents notarized in person.
The good news is that having your documents notarized does not have to be costly, even if you use a respected and trustworthy notary service. To summarize, whether you need to finalize a trade or seek a loan, having your documents notarized is a must.
In conclusion, Notarizing your documents is crucial to ensure you are safe. It may save you in many situations in the future.
