A notary must remain impartial and avoid conflicts of interest. If a notary has a personal or financial interest in the document, they should refuse to notarize it to maintain integrity and avoid any appearance of bias.
Notaries must keep their journals secure and confidential. Access to the journal should be limited to those who are authorized by law or required for specific legal purposes. Discarding or leaving the journal in a public place would be a violation of confidentiality.
A notary’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the parties understand the nature of the documents they are signing and that they are signing willingly. The notary does not provide legal advice or draft documents, nor does the notary guarantee the accuracy of the content of the documents.
Notaries are not authorized to provide legal advice or interpret legal documents. Their role is strictly to perform notarial acts, such as verifying identities and witnessing signatures. If legal advice is needed, parties should be referred to a qualified attorney.
If a notary makes an error, they should correct it as soon as possible and document the correction in their notarial journal. This helps maintain accurate records and ensures that the notarial act remains valid.
