Notary Myths You Need to Know
Notarization is an essential service that is tremendously useful when dealing with documentation. But despite being such a crucial resource, not many people know what exactly it is, even if they have heard the title ‘notary public.’
The lack of understanding regarding notary officials and their service exists because people seldom encounter situations requiring interaction with a notary authority. And even if someone has had experience working with a notary public, they wouldn’t know the extent of services a notary officer provides. But it’s not just the poor knowledge of notarization among the masses that affects the industry; it’s also the prevalent misinformation about notary publics and their jobs that adds to the confusion. If only people knew how vital notary services could be, they would flock towards faculties that offer notarization.
To help those who don’t understand what notaries do, we decided to put together an extensive guide that briefs what exactly are notarization services but, more importantly, what they aren’t.
Notarization By Notary Publics Explained
Notarization is the name given to the process of certifying legal documents to eliminate the chances of fraudulent transactions/deeds. Simply put, an officer (known as the notary public) is assigned by the federal government to validate contracts and agreements by stamping on them. The consent or approval from a notary officer is the final step in closing a house deal, opening an account, establishing a power of attorney, selling a car, etc.
A document that is stamped by a notary public is valid and legally useable.
What Notaries Don’t Do!
Since notaries carry out a legal practice, many people who come in contact with them assume that they are legal authorities and can do more than signing papers. While notarization is an official process overseen by the government, notaries don’t have any constitutional authority to practice any other legal duties. All a notary has to do (can do) is see that a draft meets the necessary requirements and doesn’t have any illicit terms on it. Once they are sure that a document is valid and has been composed lawfully, they certify it. And that’s where the job of a notary ends! So if anyone tries to sell any of the following ideas to you, know that they are spreading baseless myths and nothing else.
A Notary Can Give Legal Advice
Absolutely not! A notary public doesn’t have the right to dispense legal advice under any circumstances, even if they are a paralegal.
A Notary Can Help Clients Draft Documents
Similar to giving legal advice, helping clients compose drafts is something a notary can’t do. However, if a notary is a paralegal working under a licensed attorney, then they can draft documents.
A Notary Has To Understand The Details Of The Document
A notary public’s job is to ensure that parties involved in a business deal are not cheated, and the deeds used in the process are legit and free of loopholes. To do that, they only need to see if the requirements of a particular form are met or not, which may or may not entail understanding the details of the entire piece.
If you want to get your documents verified by federal authority, you should head to a credible notary office to save yourself from getting conned!