Notarizing a document is important for many reasons. However, unless you know the proper steps towards proper notarization, it won’t help you. Here are the steps that you should know being a notary public Crawley and follow accordingly.
• It needs personal appearance – Almost everywhere it is needed that the signer appears personally during notarization of a document. It is important. It helps protects the signer, employer and anybody relying on the process. It would help them being away from potential fraud as well. Personal appearance helps you complete other important steps towards a proper notarization.
• Check the documents – You must have a check over the documents before notarization. Look for the certificate wordings telling you what kind of notary to be performed. You must review the certificate wordings to ensure that it contains all the significant elements the notary certificate should contain. Also, check if it conforms to the requirements of your country’s notary law. Don’t forget to check the blank spaces. Some countries require no blank on the document while others recommend it. Nevertheless, blank documents can be changed later in order to commit fraud. Enter the notarization date in the certificate. Also verifying the name on the ID supports the right name on the document. Scanning the document hardly ensures that you have read it for every detail. You must glance over it meticulously to get the needed information.
• Identify the signer – Being a notary public Crawley, it is important to verify the identity of the signer. This is the key duty of every notary. Almost every country provides some directions as to how to recognise the signer. Being a notary, you may know the signer personally. If you don’t, you must check the passport, driver’s licence and other IDs of the person issued by the government. You may also depend on a credible witness who knows the signer and vouches for his/her identity. Identifying the signer is needed as it comes to acknowledging the signature. You may need to perform a jurat, affidavit or affirmation as well. These are recommended to conduct before certifying the copy.
• Recording the journal entry is required – You should maintain a record of all the notarizations. Your journal entry must contain every detailing of the process. It is important and comes handy in case any notarization is called into question. It would be even better to complete the journal entry before proceeding. This would help you collect essential record elements including the signature of the signer.
• Complete the certificate – If a document doesn’t contain needed certification wordings, ask the signer what kind of notarization is needed. You can attach a separate certificate accordingly. In many cases, the signers are not aware of which type of notary they need. You can make the decision on behalf of the signer only if you are a licenced attorney. Otherwise, ask the signer to contact the receiving or issuing agency for further instructions. While completing the notary certificate, don’t make any mistake. All the details should be perfect. Lastly, sign and affix your seal.
Peter Long Public Notary 