What Is A Notary?
Notaries, like superheroes, protect the world from evil. Yet, unfortunately, they rarely wear capes. They never destroy buildings or get attacked by radioactive snakes. However, they always defend the identities and rights of community members, stopping criminals from unfairly meddling with contracts. In fact, as the unsung heroes of business, notaries empower others to pursue their dreams, or business transactions, both professionally and personally. Let’s take a look at what notaries actually do!
What does a notary do?
Appointed by the state government, notary publics offer an impartial witness to the signing of contracts and legal documents. Even so, their duties exceed this passive role of spectator. Notaries take an active part in supporting business agreements by screening both parties to ensure their true identities.
They also check the participants’ willingness to enter into proposed arrangements. As a result, notaries report any signs of intimidation or duress that signify unfair conduct.
Furthermore, notary publics read through the details of each document and clarify the meaning to those involved, occasionally placing signers under oath to guarantee justice. This justice is then safeguarded again by the government, who only allows notaries with zero stake in the contract to oversee the deal.
Overall, notaries enforce the principles of respect and accountability in contract agreements. In other words, a Notary acts as an official and unbiased witness to confirm that person is who they say they are.
What a notary is NOT
The most common confusion between what a notary can and cannot do is provide legal advice. Many seem to believe notaries are lawyers or attorneys which is not the case. A notary public cannot provide any kind of legal advice, so do not expect a notary to provide answers or explain the legality of the document you need notarized.
All those questions and concerns should have been answered by your attorney or lawyer before the notary has arrived.
Why does my document need to be notarized?
Although largely a business function, notaries aid the general public with their legal and personal paperwork. Not only do they carefully approve corporate documents such as articles of incorporation, partnership agreements, company bylaws, and contracts, but they also help with domestic leases, employment contracts, passport documentation and much more.
In seeking a notary for assistance, consumers make an excellent choice: investing in themselves by protecting their future and complying with the law.
Hiring a notary not only boosts consumer confidence, but it also protects them from fraud and unfair practices. Yet, countless victims lose their lifelong savings buying a house at the hands of criminal scammers. Often, business partners are deleted from their own company and there is nothing to be done. The only defense… trustworthy notaries to protect assets and contracts.
What types of documents need to be notarized?
Many kinds of documents require a notary signature for them to be valid. Below are a few examples:
Real Estate Documents
Real Estate Notaries, or signing agents, are often hired by individuals or title companies for verifying and overseeing the signing processes for financial documents. These documents include, but are not limited to:
- Mortgage closing documents
- Refinances
- Property deeds (buying or selling a property and transferring ownership)
- Loan documents
- Some types of credit or loan applications/approvals
Estate Planning & Legal Documents
Most estate and court legal forms will require notarized signatures by a certified estate planning notary. These documents include, but are not limited to:
- Wills
- Trusts
- Advanced directives
- Executorships
- Custody and guardianship agreements
- Power of attorney documents
- Court documents
- i 9 Employment Forms
- Child adoption documents
- Certified copies
Business Documents
Businesses of all sizes often require a notarization for various business documents. These documents include, but are not limited to:
- Articles of incorporation
- Memorandum of understanding documents
- Vendor contracts
- Commercial leases
- Employment contracts
- Construction and loan agreements
Where to find a notary in Chicago?
Mobile notaries – notary publics that travel to customers locations – are increasingly popular as they provide individuals and businesses with convenient service.
Rather than wasting time commuting to a notary, a mobile notary takes away the drive time, cost of gas, and wasted parking fees by notarizing documents at the clients preferred location – on the spot!
As a result, notaries are made available to everyone, regardless of their economic status and ability to travel.
In busy cities such as Chicago, our Cook county notaries at Illinois Notary Pros provide an efficient option to book and request notary services on your own schedule and any locations that works best for you. We have notaries available in various counties surrounding Cook County so you can expect speedy and efficient services from us, as well as, in other nearby cities such as Schaumburg.
If you reside in Cook County, DuPage, Lake, Kane or McHenry, we have availability for you!
Save yourself the hassle and time by Giving Us A Call Today or Schedule A Online Here
