A notary public is a public law officer recognized by the government. One among their chief duties is to verify when required, the identity of the one that may be a witness. This is essential for the process of verification and authentication of public documents and other necessary paperwork. A notary acts as an impartial witness. Getting a document notarized indicates the presence of the notary when the document is being signed. But, in some cases, the witness can’t be present at the same time as the notary. Documents are pre-signed in such cases.
Can a notary certify such an unattested signature?
In a nutshell, yes, he or she can. There are provisions for a notary in Kingston, enabling them to certify certain documents that haven’t been signed or executed in his or her presence, but the method isn’t the same. Here are some guidelines that need to be followed:
• The notary should have seen the signature being affixed on a document at a previous time first. Additionally, the document should be retained within the protocol file of the notary.
• The continued existence of the signatory should be checked by the notary from time to time.
• In a case where the signatory may be a representative of a corporation or a corporation, the notary must check the continued authority at regular intervals of time.
• At the time of verification, the notary must take steps that are needed and are reasonable to see and confirm that the signatory indeed signs the document. There are not any strict guidelines that elaborate on the measures to be taken. The choice-making authority lies with the notary.
• There are going to be an unequivocal certificate and it can in no way, directly or indirectly say that the notary was present during the signing. It is to be made clear that albeit the notary certifies the authenticity of the signature, it’s not been performed in the presence of the notary. Maximum transparency is vital in such cases.
But this is not where it ends. A notary in Kingston also has the freedom to refuse to certify your document. This is often the case when the authentication of a document requires full attestation by a notary at any cost. Many important documents have this as a proper process which is the reason behind a notary not assisting you during a case like this.