A licensed notary is a fairly lucrative, easy to work and somewhat hidden professional position. This is because the job is often included as part of another job. Becoming a notary, also known as a notary who can help you start your own business or increase your value as an office employee. Duties as a notary may vary, but notaries play an important role in signing legally binding agreements.
Duties & Responsibilities of a Notary
Notaries and notary signing agents manage and witness the signatures on official documents. These tasks include:
• Document execution (legally binding signature)
• Confirm the state of mind of all participants
• Identification of fraud or coercion
• Completing a notary certificate on all documents
• Verify the identification of contract participants
• Be present at document execution (this includes travel)
• Manage vows
• Handling statements, contracts, loan documents, marriage certificates, and other legal documents
• Testifying on items in a safe or equivalent
• Maintain a notary journal
• Schedule related appointments
Although most notary jobs are simple, there may be times when it is quite difficult. As a notary, you are responsible for correcting or prohibiting signatures in the event of fraud or coercion. You are also responsible for determining whether the signature is healthy before and during the signing of official documents.
Notary Skills & Competencies
Many of the skills that a notary requires are similar to those of a legal secretary, which is why many do both jobs. The same can be said of bankers and loan officers. The notary public must be comfortable with the procedures, state laws, documents, and the bureaucracy associated with bureaucratic and government processes.
Verification: The notary public must verify everything in front of him before the notary is signed. This includes checking identification and ensuring that both parties understand what they are signing.
Compliance: Most of the rules for notaries are applied at the state level. That means that notary laws vary from country to country. It is important for notaries not to “cut corners.” It is the notary’s responsibility to uphold the integrity of the signing process and also to inform parties involved who may not be aware of state laws relating to signing documents.
Record Keeping: Notaries must keep a journal. By noting the name, time, location and more, this ensures that all signatories will be responsible for their agreement. Failure to record the relevant details can invalidate the signature and invalidate it.
Familiarity with Legal Documents: evidentiary documents, loan documents, passports, written statements, and more fall under the area of the notary’s responsibility. While you don’t need to know how to compile or dissect all sections of a legal document, you should be able to identify what people are signing and what notary responsibilities apply to specific situations.
Flexibility: While not all notaries have to travel, many do move on for their customers. Often, formal agreements have to be signed in a fast time frame and at an inconvenient time and place. You need to be ready to work with customer schedules and locations, while carrying all the necessary tools a notary would need.