Notarizing is an important part of many legal transactions. The value of notarization is that it allows an impartial screening to happen in which the signer of a document has verified their identity. Years ago, the only way to have a document signed was to bring together a personal notary, who was awarded by the court the legal ability to provide this oversight service, and the person signing. The notary was tasked with verifying the person’s identity and then watching that person physically sign a document.
Today, the process is still necessary but much different. For business lawyers who constantly need to have documents notarized, it’s quite important to have a simple, straightforward method to do so. Why is notarizing a document like this important? How can it be done more efficiently?
What Does It Mean When a Document Is Notarized?
Notarizing is the process of:
In a traditional environment, this is done in person. However, today, with the advent of so many electronic documents, it can also be done electronically.
Why Is Notarizing a Document Important?
Having documents notarized offers a number of key benefits to all parties involved. In some situations, notarization is required by law. This is common in situations involving legal documents, including wills, contracts, and legally binding agreements. Even when it is not legally required to do so, there are a number of key benefits to notarizing documents. This includes:
Quite notable, for attorneys, the use of documents like this is critical. It can provide a wide range of benefits in a legal setting. The problem is it is often cumbersome.
Notarizing Tips for Lawyers
Law firms looking to improve the use of notarization to alleviate frustrations and improve client outcomes may wish to consider a few helpful tips.
First, know your state’s rules. It’s always necessary to follow those rules when it comes to notarizing or the entire process is worthless.
Always ensure proper documentation and a trusted notary public is used. Do not skip corners here. It can infringe on the rights of all parties involved and puts your firm at risk.
Utilizing Electronic Document Signing and Notarization Tools
Many attorneys have moved to the process of electronic document signing, or ESigning. There are some very good reasons for doing so including faster and more efficient movement of documents through the various legal steps. A concern comes in when a document needs notarization and you hope to use an e-signature platform. However, there are solutions for this.
CoraLegal is the ideal solution. Here’s how it works.
You’ll invite notary publics in various cities that fit your needs (choose those from the counties you operate in) to join your CoraLegal account. There is no risk to the Notary Public in doing so and there’s no concern about privacy or data sharing. It’s all protected.
When a client document needs a signature, you choose a notary public within your account to do so. Do this as you are preparing the document as that helps to streamline the process to ensure it can be handled efficiently.
Once this is done, the notary is then able to enable the eSignature after they validate the client’s identification, as they would normally do. There is no reduction in the authenticity or validation here – the entire process remains very authentic.
The notary public then notarizes the document with their own eSignature and notary stamp. It’s that easy. Within seconds, the process is complete and you can move that client legal document to the next step in the legal process.
All notaries who use CoraLegal have the ability to set up their own free account to maintain their electronic notary journal, just as they would do if they were in person signing documents.
Learn More About CoralTree and CoraLegal
At CoralTree, we are consistently working with our clients to create a refined, easy-to-use, and comprehensive communication portal. It is the ideal secure file sharing system designed to efficiently manage your client communications in a streamlined manner. If you are a legal professional hoping to make notarizing documents effortless and more consistently available within your practice, take a look at how we can help you.
Schedule a free 1:1 demo with our product experts or start using your 30-day free trial as a new user of our product right now.