Receipts. Proof. Screenshots. Notary Seals.

In the infamous words of Heather Gay on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City: “Receipts. Proof. Screenshots. Timelines.”

Who knew the Housewives would one day provide some pretty solid advice for Notaries Public?

But here we are.

As notaries, documentation can be one of the most important tools we have to protect ourselves. Because when something goes wrong before, during, or after an appointment, the notary can sometimes become the easiest person to blame.

Recently, a title officer told me it was “unprofessional” that I had asked a signer to change both the date and time of their signing.

There was just one problem: I hadn’t.

The title officer told me the signer had even provided screenshots of our conversation.

Receipts? Perfect. I love receipts.Except when you actually read the screenshots, they showed that the signer was the one requesting the changes.

And I couldn’t help but wonder…In an industry built around documentation, why are we sometimes so quick to assign blame before actually reading the documentation?

Document. Document. Document.

That interaction reinforced something I already practice: document everything.

Appointment confirmations. Scheduling changes. Emails. Text messages. Signer requests. Identification issues. Unusual circumstances. And, when appropriate, detailed notes in your notary journal.

Because memories get fuzzy. Stories change. Documentation doesn’t.

Professionalism isn’t just about showing up on time with your seal. It’s also about protecting your commission and maintaining a clear record of what happened.

So save the email. Keep the confirmation. Document the change.

And yes, sometimes…take the screenshot.

Because if the Real Housewives have taught us anything, it’s that when someone shows up to the reunion with a completely different version of events, you’d better have the receipts.

Receipts. Proof. Screenshots. Timelines. And maybe a notary seal.