The Notary: Our Hero

Posted by | Posted on 3:04 AM

By Myer Thompson

It's not very glamorous, for sure. But the notary is a misunderstood occupation. It's often relegated to a few hard-to-find people in strange places. Well, first off, it is less of an occupation and more of a certification. This was not always the case. In fact, as recently as 1990, it was an actual office you held -- well, if you lived in the UK. Nevertheless, being a notary is being connected to almost 2,000 years of history.

Yeah, it's a grandiose claim, but it's true. Notaries stretch back to the scribes of Republican Rome. These officials were charged with authenticating legal documents, primarily wills and ensuring legislation was reviewed for mass consumption and understanding. So, the notary has a pedigree that's impressive.

If you should need some notary public stamps, you'll have to flip through the phone book (remember those?) or enter a search engine search. These men and women have been entrusted with the ability to verify documents and can even be executors of a will. Sure, that's rare, but it's possible.

Now, notary as a profession is mostly a European phenomenon. In the United States, a notary is essentially a verifiable state-appointed witness. In fact, becoming a notary, in some states, is as easy as forking over an application and paying a fee. Presto -- you're an instant notary. Not too shabby, but far from the centuries of history and important roles in the government bureaucracy.

Ever dream of getting married in Rome? Paris? Well, if so, you can be assured you'll be grooving with a notary public in the near future. See, the notary can issue you the much sought-after apostille. Funny word -- it's French for "certification" and usually applies to the verification of birth certificates for foreign weddings. If you plan to be wed in Europe, you will need an apostille before you can fill out a wedding application. This is where our hero, the notary, bursts onto the scene.

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