Clients who need mobile notary services often bring paperwork with mistakes or missing information. From simple typos to more severe problems that need thorough investigation and resolution, document errors may range in severity. If you want your notarization procedure to go well and your papers to be legally binding, you need to know how to handle these kinds of issues.
Finding and correcting minor errors
Misspelled names, incomplete addresses, and typographical errors are just some of the commonplace problems that mobile notaries face when customers give their paperwork. Despite their seeming minor nature, these mistakes might affect the legality of a notarization. To guarantee the authenticity and validity of the notarized document, notaries must be on the lookout for and correct any such mistakes. Notaries may advise their customers on how to fix small mistakes. The usual procedure for this is:
- First, the notary examines the document thoroughly for any discrepancies or other problems.
- The notary advises the client of the inaccuracies and gives reasons for the necessity of the changes. Throughout this process, it is essential to keep lines of communication open and friendly.
- The customer or document preparer revises the document as needed. Corrections may include erasing mistakes, writing in new material, or adding new pages.
- The notary then attests that the updated document is true and complete. This might need a second reading of the paper.
- To verify that the document correctly represents the client’s current objectives, it may be necessary for them to resign the updated sections.
Once the notary is satisfied that the document is free of errors and meets all legal requirements, they will notarize it by confirming the client’s identity, giving any necessary oaths or affirmations, and then signing and stamping the document with their official notary seal and signature. Notaries must keep a complete record of all events, including any changes made or the notarization process itself. Keeping accurate records is an important part of being transparent and accountable.
Dealing with more complicated mistakes
Some mistakes in documents are easy for a notary to fix, while other problems may need a more in-depth familiarity with the law and notarial standards. Situations like this include:
- There may be missing or erroneous dates in the documents. When it comes to the day on which a contract or other legal arrangement takes effect, it is the notary’s responsibility to guarantee that all dates are correct.
- If the person’s name on their ID doesn’t match the name on their paperwork, it might cause complications. If there is a difference, the notary public has an obligation to explain it and double-check the person’s identification.
- Incomplete paperwork sometimes lacks either necessary parts or necessary signatures. In the absence of required information or signatures, notaries must work with their customers to collect them.
- Crossed-out or obliterated writing on a document might cast doubt on its authenticity. Notaries should think carefully about the implications of allowing such changes and how they could undermine the validity of the document.
- Problems may arise while attempting to read documents containing text that is difficult to read. If the document is unclear, the notary may need to engage with the client to provide the required clarifications before proceeding with notarization.
Notaries should proceed with care and seek legal counsel when faced with these more difficult circumstances. It may be required to employ legal specialists or document preparers to adequately fix the difficulties, depending on the extent and severity of the inaccuracies.
