Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Flashcards
7 cards from real MS NOTARY practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal and Ethical Responsibilities flashcards as text
In Mississippi, what happens to a notary's official misconduct liability if their surety bond pays a damaged party?
Answer: The notary must reimburse the surety company for the amount paid
The bond protects the public, not the notary, so the surety can recover payouts from the notary personally.
A document presented for notarization has blank spaces where key terms should be. What should a Mississippi notary do?
Answer: Ask the signer to complete or line through the blanks before notarizing
Notarizing documents with material blanks invites fraud, so blanks should be completed or struck before the notarization.
A Mississippi notary is subpoenaed to testify about a notarization they performed. Which record best supports their testimony?
Answer: Their notarial journal entry for that transaction
The journal is the notary's contemporaneous evidence of what occurred during the notarization.
Which scenario shows a Mississippi notary properly handling a suspected coerced signer?
Answer: Speaking with the signer privately and refusing if the signer seems unwilling
The notary must confirm the signer acts willingly, and refusing is required when willingness is in doubt.
A Mississippi notary is also a real estate agent earning commission on a sale. May they notarize the closing documents for that sale?
Answer: No, because their commission gives them a financial interest in the transaction
Earning a commission from the transaction creates a disqualifying financial interest.
What is the ethical problem with a Mississippi notary advertising 'notario público' services to Spanish-speaking clients?
Answer: It falsely implies the notary has attorney-like legal authority, deceiving immigrant clients
In many Latin American countries a 'notario' is a licensed legal professional, so the term misleads clients about the notary's authority.
A notary's friend asks them to backdate a notarization to before a contract deadline. What should the notary do?
Answer: Refuse, because the certificate must state the actual date of notarization
Backdating a notarial certificate is a false certification and is strictly prohibited.