A notary public is authorized by law to certify documents, take affidavits, and administer oaths, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

Notarization is important as legal proof that the signature or signatures on a document have been witnessed, and the parties have been identified by an impartial public official.
You need a notary in everything that is important in life.Marriage,divorce, house purchase documents to make it legal.

Notaries can’t give legal advice or prepare legal documents.

A notary seal may be embossed, or stamped in ink.

“They first thing is to ensure they are who they say they are. We also have to make sure they are not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol or anything that will deter their ability to make a decision when signing a document,” Lewis said. “The third thing is that we have to ensure that they that they are not in any way being coerced to sign a document. Most people just think notaries are there to stamp documents and that’s it. When you put those three things together, though, our job really is to protect the public.”

A new Indiana law taking effect July 1 will help protect the profession and the public.

It will require additional, ongoing training and raised the bond requirement for notaries from $5,000 to $25,000. The SOS office reports the average settlement against a notary is $18,000. By raising the bond, clients will be able to recover for damages due to rare fraudulent acts.

Notaries could make your life easier.

“If people turn on their TV during daytime hours, they see a lot of court TV and, I’d say, over 90 percent of those problems would go away if they used a notary. People that don’t use a notary are often called plaintiffs or defendants,” he said.

“If people want an easier life, using a notary will wipe out a lot of heartache in the end. And it’s very cheap to use me too.”Notary Commission 5