Free vs Paid Notary Services

On occasion, I have been asked why anyone would consider paying for notarial services when there are some places that offer this service for free?  It is true.  There are many notaries that offer to process your document for free.  One only needs to launch an online search for free notary services, and your results will fill your entire screen.

I get i!  Who wants to spend resources for something that can be completed for zero dollars?  Several businesses offer free notary services, including some local banks, credit unions, and law office staff.  For simple documents, a free notarization may be sufficient enough for your purposes, and it can even save you some cash.  Who doesn’t like saving cash?  I have had clients that need a notarization, but they explain that they either do not want or cannot pay.  My response is to direct them to some of these free resources.

Here’s where it gets tricky.  Imagine that you are preparing your will, power of attorney, or selling some property.  You receive your documents and discover that you can simply swing by your local credit union or neighbor's house to notarize for free.  Sounds easy, right?  You are now all set to use your legal documents for their intended purpose.  The time arrives for you to present your docs, except the court clerk or judge finds that the notary certificate that was used is not correct.  There is missing information, a clerical error, or signatures did not meet the legal requirements.

Now you’re stuck with your free notarized document, and it didn’t meet the requirements.  If you are selling your property, this will ultimately result in funding delays.  Maybe it’s your power of attorney, and the notary suggested which certificate to use. (This is not allowed, and is considered the practice of law.)  What about that last will?  Perhaps a relative comes out to contest the legal validity of your last will, and you discover that the notary did not administer the verbal oath that is required for jurat notarizations.  This is why we charge reasonable fees to notarize your important documents.

We hold error & omissions insurance above the typical basic notary public, so that if we made a mistake that caused you financial loss or issues in probate court, you know that there could be some financial relief provided as  result of a notary mistake.  Some places that offer free notary service might even reject your notary request if your documents are more complex or even time sensitive.  They usually do not want to take the risk or liability for the possibility of a financial loss.  

Training, experience, certifications, and quality resources do matter.  Our notary service has been serving the public for more than 17 years.  We hold a $100,000 error insurance policy.  South Texas Notary has independently chosen to train, practice, and process a wide range of documents.  Our fees are reasonable and are meant to provide the most accurate, reliable, and correct notary services.  Your documents must be reviewed and notarized correctly, or you risk losing out on the sale of a property, or maybe your last will and testament could be rejected.  The consequences of one simple bad notarization would cause you to lose it all.
We will meet you in person, or online so that you can choose the most convenient service for you.  We carry extra notarial certificates in the event that your document is lacking one.  We can notarize your 200 page contract the proper way, so that you don’t have to worry about notarial rejects in the future.  Training matters.  Experience matters.  Reputation matters.  We keep our rates reasonable, and provide the correct notarial services as required by law.  Free is always nice, but if you want to guarantee that your documents are notarized the right way, send us a text, email, or call.  We are always happy to help answer your questions.