I9 Employment Verification Form

I seem to be getting a lot of this business, lately. Admittedly, I haven't kept up with any news or governmental changes, though I do frequent my eVerify account...I haven't read any of the updates. Rest assured, I've put this on my to-do list!

I've found that some people who need the I9 form either don't have it or don't know where they can find it and I really thought that I had it posted with the other forms you can access from this site, but I can't seem to find it. So, ta-da...here is a link, where you can print your very own copy and don't forget if you need me to print it, I can do that for you, as well...

I9 FORM

 and if you need more information about the Employment Verification Process known as eVerify, you can find it here. I am an eVerify representative.

...and Don't Date it, Either

 As I talked about in my previous post...please do not sign your document before our meeting and also, don't date it, either. The date must correlate with the date I stamp and seal your document. Meaning, if I notarize your document today, August 27th, 2020 your document date can not be August 26th, 28th, or any other date in the past or the future. 

IF you did date your document and it's not current, I will cross your date out and put the current date.

The exception to this is when a date is within the document. For instance, you may have a statement describing an incident like an accident or something else, relative to the document. The contents of the document are not important to the notary, but rather the date of the document itself is.

Do Not Sign Your Document!

 I can't tell you the number of times I've been presented with a document to notarize that has already been signed by the customer. Don't do that! 

The sole purpose of my notary services is to vouch for you. My stamp and seal on your document says, "I verified your identity and witnessed your signature." In order for me to do that, I need to watch you sign the document, along with seeing and documenting your ID. It also avoids messy paperwork or having to reprint and start over.

I know you can be anxious about your paperwork. I know it's important to you and you just want to get it done but you want to get it done properly. The way to ensure that it is done properly is to not sign your document before you bring it to me.

Here's what you can do, though. Fill out what you can...your name, address, anything the document is asking you but avoid the signature line and save that part for us to do together. 

Happy Client - Happy Notary

How is Coronavirus Affecting My Services?

I was not quite sure how I would handle my notary work in light of the recent virus that is spreading worldwide. Do I feel comfortable going to a person's home, place of business? Would I want clients to come to my home? Being really uneasy about everything, I've decided that I will conduct either drive-by or drive-up notarizations...either at your home, place of business or my own home.

Here's how it will work. You call or text me to set up an appointment. If you come to my home, I will offer curbside services, with minimal contact. I will still need to access your driver's license and you will still need to sign my journal and, of course, I will need to handle the document(s) you are signing. I will provide hand sanitizer to you and I will disinfect my pen as well as my own hands.

The same will apply if I come to you. I will arrive at the curbside (or parking lot if I'm meeting you at your business) and will still follow all safety precautions.

I do ask that if you are sick or anyone in your home is sick, that you please do not schedule a notarization. I realize that time is of the essence when it comes to certain documents but I can not put mine or my family's health at risk. If I become ill or a family member becomes ill, I reserve the right to cancel, postpone or refuse a notary service. Thank you.

Please call or text for more information or to schedule an appointment 856-397-8908, if you do not get a response when you call, please leave a message with your name, phone number and document information and deadline.

Notaries and the Unauthorized Practice of Law

Unless a notary is also a licensed attorney, he or she may not give legal advice or accept fees for legal advice. In civil-law jurisdictions, and in most common-law jurisdictions outside the United States, notaries are essentially lawyers who have extensive training in the drafting of documents. However, American common-law notaries do not have any legal authority unless they happen to also be a licensed attorney. As a result, it would be considered the unauthorized practice of law for a non-attorney notary to give legal advice.

Many notaries often worry about inadvertently engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. This confusion is understandable because although notaries are not attorneys, non-attorneys can provide some legal services. Generally, a non-lawyer can sell blank legal forms, act as a transcriber (by typing information completed in writing by a client), sell general printed legal information, and perform their notary services for the fees established by law. A non-attorney cannot, however, advise a client how to complete a legal form or make changes to a legal form completed by a client.

Of course, notaries employed in the legal field, such as paralegals and legal secretaries, often draft or edit legal documents within the scope of their employment. In this case, these actions would not constitute the unauthorized practice of law because the person is not acting as a notary when performing these tasks but is acting under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Always consult your state's laws regarding what a non-lawyer can do. Be sure to exercise caution when performing any act which might be construed as the unauthorized practice of law.

By Robert T. Koehler, a Contributing Writer with the American Association of Notaries, Inc.

Help! I lost my notarized document!

Sometimes we lose things. Even important things, like documents we've had notarized. This is a terrible feeling and you've probably wondered what you would do and one of the first things you'll ask yourself is, "Would the notary have a copy?"

Unfortunately, a notary does not keep copies of documents that have been notarized. In most cases, the only copy is the one you have, unless you've made copies. There's really no need for a notary to keep any copies of documents that have been completed, they are usually left at the table with the signers or, as in the case with mortgage documents, have been long mailed back to the servicer. 

It's very important to keep crucial documents in a safe place...a lockbox, a safe, a safety deposit box or, if an attorney was involved, with the attorney. Once the document or documents are lost, you'll have to redo the whole process. 

Now, I will say that when I have e-docs sent to me in any kind of loan process, as in the case of mortgages, I will have those copies. But they are unsigned and not notarized. I usually keep those copies for 30-90 days and then they are shredded.

Invest in a good safe or fireproof lockbox!