Need to have a document authorized? Nine times out of ten you would need to enlist the services of a notary public as it is one of the most convenient ways to prevent otherwise avoidable issues such as fraud and duress.
However, as a law firm in Columbia, Maryland, offering a notarization service, we at The Mercy Law Firm LLC say that before exactly knowing how a notary public can help you, you must first have to know what a notary public is.
As a state-appointed official, a notary public attests to the validity and proper execution of a document. In this way, he/she is similar to a legal counsel as both help carry out the process legally. It is worth noting, however, that anyone can work as a notary public as long as he/she satisfies the licensing requirements of the state he/she resides—this may include a notary education, a test, a bond, among others.
In general, all notary publics can help you with:
- Authenticating your financial, business, and legal documents
- Overseeing the parties involved in the signing of your documents
- Verbally confirming that each party involved in the signing of your document has a clear understanding of the agreement as specified
- Providing a seal/stamp of approval on your document
- Administering oaths and witnessing signatures
- And more
This said, hiring a notary public who also has had legal training, such as a family lawyer in Maryland, can be more helpful for documents that require legal know-how as they can easily spot issues and provide remedies to tricky, law-related issues.