I’m a Notary, Not Your Lawyer
It usually starts with an innocent question. “What does this mean?” Then comes: “Which one should I choose?”
“Do you think I should sign this?” Or one of my personal favorites… “Well, what would you do?”
And suddenly, what was supposed to be a notarization has turned into an unexpected episode of Law & Order. Except there’s one small problem:
I’m the Notary. Not the lawyer. And I couldn’t help but wonder… When does being helpful stop being helpful?
The Stamp Has Boundaries
As notaries, customer service is part of what we do. We want our signers to feel comfortable. We can explain the notarization process, tell you what identification is required, and answer questions about what we are doing.
What we cannot do is tell someone what their document means, what legal effect it may have, or whether signing it is in their best interest. That isn’t being difficult.
That’s knowing the boundaries of our role.
And sometimes maintaining those boundaries means saying something clients don’t necessarily want to hear: “That’s a question you’ll need to ask the person who prepared the document or an attorney.”
“But I Just Have a Quick Question…”
Famous last words. 😂 The problem isn’t necessarily the question. It’s where answering that question could lead. There’s a big difference between: “Where do I sign?” and “Should I sign?” One is logistical. The other could be legal advice. The same goes for choosing notarial certificates, interpreting language in a document, or explaining what rights someone may be giving up. A notary’s job is to remain impartial—not become another party influencing the signer’s decision.
Sometimes the Best Answer Is “I Can’t Answer That.”
I’ll admit, it can feel awkward. We’re in a service business. Our instinct is to help. But sometimes being professional means knowing when not to answer the question. If a signer doesn’t understand what they’re signing, the solution isn’t for the notary to interpret it for them. The solution may be to stop, give them time to get their questions answered, and continue when they’re comfortable proceeding. Because the goal isn’t simply to get a document stamped.
The goal is to perform the notarization properly.
So the next time someone slides a document across the table and asks: “What do you think I should do?” Remember: You can be kind. You can be helpful. You can explain your role.
But you can also say: “That one is above my pay grade.” Because knowing when not to use the stamp can be just as important as knowing when to use it.
