WV Notary Legal and Ethical Responsibilities 4

Question 1

A WV notary's neighbor asks them to notarize a will and explain what the residuary clause means. The notary may:

Accepted Answer

Notarize the signature but decline to explain the legal terms

Answer

The notary may perform the notarization but explaining legal terms would be unauthorized practice of law.

Question 2

Under the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) as adopted in West Virginia, a notary may refuse to perform a notarial act if:

Accepted Answer

The notary is not satisfied the signer is competent or acting voluntarily

Answer

RULONA expressly authorizes refusal when the notary doubts the signer's competence, willingness, or knowledge of the transaction.

Question 3

A WV notary performed a notarization for a document later used in a lawsuit. The signer claims coercion. What best protects the notary from liability?

Accepted Answer

A contemporaneous journal entry documenting the act and ID used

Answer

A detailed journal record is the notary's strongest evidence that the act was performed properly.

Question 4

A WV notary is offered $50 to notarize documents for a mobile signing. The notary's base notarial fee is capped, so the extra amount:

Accepted Answer

May be charged as a travel fee if agreed upon with the signer in advance

Answer

A notary may charge an additional travel fee if the signer agrees to it before the service is performed.

Question 5

A WV notary realizes after the fact that they notarized a document for a signer whose ID had expired years earlier. The most ethical course is to:

Accepted Answer

Document the error, and require proper identification before any corrective re-notarization

Answer

Errors should be documented honestly and corrected through a new, properly performed notarization rather than concealed or altered.

(WV Notary) West Virginia Notary Exam Practice Test

(WV Notary) West Virginia Notary Exam Practice Test

WV Notary Legal and Ethical Responsibilities 4