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Legal Documents that may require notary
Welcome to this page! Here, you’ll find a helpful guide to common documents that often require notarization. It’s important to note that a notary is not able to provide legal advice or draft documents for a signer, as this would be considered the unauthorized practice of law. However, a notary can serve as an impartial witness to the signing of legal documents and can help ensure that the signer’s identity has been verified. Common documents that may require notarization include wills, trusts, powers of attorney, deeds, loan documents, and affidavits, among others. If you’re unsure whether a particular document requires notarization, it’s always best to check with the organization or agency requesting the document or with a legal professional.
Documents that are typically notarized
- Adoption Paperwork
- Advance Health Care Directive
- Authorization for Use and Disclosure of Protected Health Information
- HIPAA Waiver / Release
- Acceptance of Appointment as Trustee
- Assignment of Membership Interest
- Assignment of Corporate Shares
- Restated Amendment to Trust
- Grant Deed
- Deed of Trust
- Quitclaim Deed
- Affidavit Death of Trustee
- Subordination Agreement
- Guaranty
- Non-Profit & Charitable Documents
- Revocable Living Trust
- Certification of trust
- Assignment of Personal Property
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Uniform Statutory Form Power of Attorney
- Declaration of Trust
- Patent and Copyright Agreements
- Sworn Statements & Affidavits
- Apostille & International Paperwork
- DMV Reg 227 Application for Duplicate Title
- USPS Application for Delivery of my Mail Through Agent
- Parental Consent and Permission to Travel
- Certified Birth, Marriage, and Death, Diploma Certificates (Signer certifies by sworn statement)
Loan / Escrow Documents
Indicates if borrowers will occupy home as primary residence, or is purchasing a second home, or rental property.
This document may also have borrower affirm that financial status hasn’t changed.
This document may also have borrower affirm that financial status hasn’t changed.
This document indicates all the names that are associated with the signer(s). Typically these names generate from the credit report that was pulled concerning borrower. Signer usually signs for each variation.
A table of your monthly payments to the lender over the term of the loan. It breaks down the principal and interest breakdown for each payment. The interest portion of the payment is initially higher in the beginning. Towards the end of the schedule the majority of the payment goes toward principal.
This document is completed by the signer to include identifying information including social security number, address, date of birth and drivers license information.
The Certification of Trust or Trust Certification is a short document signed by the trustees of a trust that simply states their full trust’s essential terms and authorities without all the details.
The Closing Disclosure is a government instituted mandatory form that provides full disclosure of the costs, loan, rate, and terms within a loan transaction. It is provided continually throughout the process to provide full disclosure to the borrowers of loan terms in an easily identifiable way. By law, it is disclosed 3 days before documents are signed.
Signer or Borrower “complies” to allow the bank to correct or replace a page with any clerical or typographical errors. Possibly elated to a name address misspelled.
This document gives the bank a limited power of attorney to correct clerical errors for the processing of your documents. It indicates that it cannot change the terms of your loan.
A lien on the property that secures the promise to repay a loan. A security agreement between the lender and the buyer in which the property is collateral for the loan. The mortgage gives the lender the right to collect payment on the loan and to foreclose if the loan obligations are not met.
Borrowers/signers agree to allow the bank to correct any typographical mistakes. The borrower complies to work with the bank if necessary to correct the mistake.
Escrow Contract Agreements or Addendum are often found within atop the closing
documents to satisfy the escrow’s contractual paperwork, transactional details between parties, and disclosure. You can differentiate documents escrow by an escrow logo or company header indicating escrow.
The Grant Deed is the document signed by the seller to grant over the home to the new buyer. This document is held by the escrow company until the home is paid for according to the terms of the contract. It is recorded with county. The seller or Grantor(s) further owns and grants property to new owner (Grantee). Typically in ARMS length transaction. Grantor also warrants full ownership interest to new owner.
The Interspousal Transfer Deed gives sole ownership of a shared property to one person in the marriage.
Lender’s closing instructions and conditions are loan document instructions for the drafting and processing of a successful loan transaction. These instructions include conditions from homeowner’s insurance, to paying off credit cards, to the need for exact signatures on the loan documents. These instructions help everyone in the process carry out the terms of the lender.
The Note is like an IOU from the borrower to the lender. It is a written promise from the borrower to pay the bank back under the terms of the indicated (typically with interest over a period of time).
You typically find: Lender Name, Loan Amount, Interest Rate, First Payment Date, Loan terms, Length, Prepayment, and Late payment information.
You typically find: Lender Name, Loan Amount, Interest Rate, First Payment Date, Loan terms, Length, Prepayment, and Late payment information.
The Riders are most often addendum to the deed of trust (or note) to indicate a variation or update within the general terms of the document it is attached to. For example, a deed if trust may have a Planned Unit Development Rider (PUD) to show that the home falls within a homeowner’s association and is subject to its rules. The deed of trust riders are attached and recorded with the deed of trust.
With a Quitclaim Deed, the Grantor(s) conveys whatever interest they may or may not have to another individual, typically used in family situations or estate planning.
In some (not all) loan transactions the borrowers are given three business days to consider their decision after signing their loan documents. Within these three business days, they may cancel or rescind their decision to continue with the transaction. This “right to cancel” is most commonly found in a refinance on a borrower’s primary residence for the borrower.
Estate Plan Documents
A legal document that allows individuals to specify their wishes regarding medical treatment and end-of-life care in the event they become unable to communicate or make decisions for themselves. It often includes appointing a healthcare proxy or agent to make medical decisions on their behalf.
A legal document used to transfer ownership of personal property (non-real estate assets such as furniture, vehicles, or financial accounts) from one party to another.
The Certification of Trust or Trust Certification is a short document signed by the trustees of a trust that simply states their full trust’s essential terms and authorities without all the details.
A legal document that establishes a trust and outlines its terms, including the identity of the trustee, beneficiaries, and instructions for managing and distributing trust assets. It may be used in conjunction with other trust-related documents like a trust agreement.
The Grant Deed is the document signed by the seller to grant over the home to the new buyer. This document is held by the escrow company until the home is paid for according to the terms of the contract. It is recorded with county. The seller or Grantor(s) further owns and grants property to new owner (Grantee). Typically in ARMS length transaction. Grantor also warrants full ownership interest to new owner.
A legal document used to transfer real property ownership from an individual or entity to a revocable living trust. This allows the trust to manage the property during the lifetime of the trust’s creator (grantor), and typically includes provisions for revocation or amendment.
A legal document that grants someone (the agent or attorney-in-fact) the authority to act on behalf of another person (the principal) in financial and legal matters even if the principal becomes incapacitated or unable to make decisions. It remains effective even if the principal becomes mentally incompetent.
An irrevocable trust is a type of trust where the terms and conditions, once established, cannot be changed or revoked by the settlor (the person who creates the trust). Once assets are transferred into an irrevocable trust, they are typically no longer considered part of the settlor’s estate and are instead owned by the trust itself. This type of trust is often used for purposes such as asset protection, estate tax reduction, Medicaid planning, or to ensure specific assets are preserved for designated beneficiaries according to the terms outlined in the trust agreement.
A trust is a legal arrangement that provides instructions regarding the management and distribution of your assets, both during your lifetime and after your death. It aims to minimize the costs and administrative burden associated with probate court proceedings by transferring ownership of assets to designated trustees. A revocable or “Living Trust” is one type of trust that allows the settlor (the person establishing the trust) to retain control and make changes or revoke the trust during their lifetime. Beyond asset distribution, trusts can serve various purposes including asset protection, tax planning, and providing for beneficiaries according to specific instructions.
A legal document that outlines a person’s wishes regarding the distribution of their assets and the handling of their affairs after their death. It names beneficiaries to receive specific assets and appoints an executor to carry out the terms of the will.
A legal document used to make amendments or additions to an existing will without revoking the entire will. It must meet the same legal requirements as a will and is typically used for minor changes.
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This work is crucial to us. We are genuine, proactive, and deliver excellence to fulfill our responsibilities. From the moment we join together on a transaction, we ensure that we provide our very best work for you. Long before we meet in person, we prepare by proof-checking paperwork and planning an incredible experience without surprises. This means your appointments are swift and secure, and we often finish them minutes before the scheduled time. Your time and plans matter to us because you have places to be in this world.
We are not robots; we are real people who deliver personalized and exceptional work. We are on your team as you change your world! You have aligned with your integrity, and now you will leave your mark, defining how you will be identified.
You are saying, “This is who I am.“
Patrick Hall
Notary services are not only about us, but also about you. At some point, you will come across a critical and decisive moment in your life. It could be challenging, exciting, or filled with creativity and hope. Ultimately, it belongs to you.
The signatures and fingerprints in our record books have imagined and built the San Diego skyline, created thriving communities worldwide in previously impoverished and hopeless places, and built families while protecting legacies.
As a notary service, we serve as an ambassadors for people who move forward confidently in their decisions. We empower and protect their intentions and help them make history, change the future, and stand tall in what they believe. These are people who are committed and all in.
This work is crucial to us. We are genuine, proactive, and deliver excellence to fulfill our responsibilities. From the moment we join together on a transaction, we ensure that we provide our very best work for you. Long before we meet in person, we prepare by proof-checking paperwork and planning an incredible experience without surprises. This means your appointments are swift and secure, and we often finish them minutes before the scheduled time. Your time and plans matter to us because you have places to be in this world.
We are not robots; we are real people who deliver personalized and exceptional work. We are on your team as you change your world! You have aligned with your integrity, and now you will leave your mark, defining how you will be identified.
You are saying, “This is who I am.“
Patrick Hall
