Effective June 6, 2024, commercial leases in Washington for a fixed term of more than one year no longer need to be notarized. Substitute Senate Bill 5840 states that “Leases do not require acknowledgment, witness, or...more
In 2020, North Carolina passed a temporary law authorizing Emergency Video Notarization (“EVN”) to alleviate the requirement that notaries be in the physical presence of signers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This law was set...more
In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote a blog post on how to create a valid will in Wisconsin. At the time, we were all stuck at home by government order, and many clients signed their wills without a notary...more
Since the COVID-19 pandemic upended life as we knew it, the use of remote communication and collaborative technologies have become a permanent addition to everything; from schools to workplaces and everything in between....more
Recently, the House of Representatives passed the SECURE Notarization Act of 2022 (H.R. 3962). The legislation that creates federal minimum standards to allow notaries in all states to perform remote online notarization...more
On December 22, New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, signed Senate Bill 1780C (S1780C), which allows the state’s notaries to conduct remote online notarizations (RON). The law is to be effective on June 20, 2022. Among other...more
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 1780C on Dec. 22, 2021, which allows the state's notaries to conduct remote online notarizations (RON). The law is slated to be effective on June 20, 2022. New York joins more...more
One of the many inconveniences imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic has been the difficulty in obtaining notarization of documents. Yesterday, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber held a Zoom hearing to discuss whether remote...more
Remote Online Notarization: What You Need to Know - "Digital closing are the norm, here’s how to prepare and serve your clients." Why this is important: Remote Online Notarization, or RON, is the use of audio/visual...more
Governor Greg Abbott has suspended a statute concerning appearance before a notary public to acknowledge real-estate instruments. This suspension will temporarily allow for appearance before a notary public via two-way...more
Pennsylvania and New Jersey have recently enacted remote notarization laws to comport with social distancing and quarantine measures put in place by both states to combat the spread of COVID-19. Knowing the requirements for...more
After some delay, on April 23, 2020, the Massachusetts Senate and House passed emergency legislation that allows for notaries public to use electronic videoconferencing to perform acknowledgements, affirmations, and other...more
One of the many aspects of daily life that has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic is the ability to comply with statutory requirements as they relate to notarization and recording. In order to have a signature or...more
Governor Greg Abbott has ordered suspended statutes to allow a notary public to appear via videoconference to execute certain documents, including a self-proved will, a durable power of attorney, a medical power of attorney,...more
It is well-known that the scope of documents requiring legal notarization is far-reaching. They include wills, trusts, advanced health directives, powers of attorney, promissory note agreements, bank transfer service forms,...more
With the spread of COVID-19 in this State, New York’s government has taken unprecedented steps to address many issues that the COVID-19 pandemic has raised. One of those unprecedented steps is the recent issuance of an...more
COVID-19 has led to a new situation in Spain. But deals are still closing. Further to the national emergency declared in Spain on 14 March 2020, and subsequent lockdown of the country, one may think that the market has...more
While the Illinois government is trying to limit the contact that people are required to have during the COVID-19 pandemic, some requirements may be better off left alone. Executive Order 2020-14 enacted in Illinois allows...more
Our industry’s commitment to the health and safety of its workforce and the CDC’s social distancing recommendations require we explore ways to minimize physical proximity in employees’ daily tasks. For those in our clients’...more
The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on real estate and mortgage closings is rapidly evolving. Several new policies and procedures have been established by title insurance underwriters related to the impact over the past...more
Effective January 1, Florida's notary laws are changing. In general terms, remote notarization will now be permitted, meaning that if certain criteria are met and the statutory protections are in place, the notary will no...more