Real Estate Documents
Notaries frequently handle documents related to real estate transactions, such as deeds, mortgage documents, and refinancing paperwork. Notarization in these cases helps prevent fraud by verifying the identities of all parties involved.
Loan Documents
For mortgages, refinances, and home equity loans, notaries are essential in ensuring that loan documents are signed correctly. Loan signing agents, a type of notary with additional training, often manage these complex sets of documents.
Power of Attorney (POA)
Powers of attorney grant legal authority to someone to act on behalf of another. Because POA documents often involve significant legal responsibilities, notarization provides an extra layer of verification, ensuring the person signing is doing so willingly and is properly identified.
Wills and Trusts
While not all states require notarization for wills, many people opt to notarize them as it helps validate the document’s authenticity. Trust documents, on the other hand, often do require notarization to establish credibility and enforceability.
Affidavits
Affidavits are sworn statements that often need notarization to be considered legally valid. These documents are used in a variety of legal situations, such as court proceedings or verifying personal identity and status.
Consent Forms
Many travel consent forms for minors, or parental consent forms for specific activities, require notarization to verify that the document was signed by the correct parent or guardian.
Business Agreements
Notaries are often called upon to witness and notarize business agreements, partnership forms, and other contractual documents. This helps ensure the parties involved are authentic and that all signatures are legitimate.
Financial Documents
Documents such as retirement benefits forms, transfer of ownership forms, and certain tax forms often require notarization to verify the identity of the signers and ensure the document’s validity.
Adoption and Custody Documents
For families going through adoption or legal custody arrangements, notarized documents provide the legal certainty required for these important processes.
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