Finally, the technological era has made it possible for those most immobile to seek out a notary. Having a mobile notary’s card in your pocket is akin to the best Uber a lawyer can have, but it leaves you asking, is this really necessary in an age where I can literally appear in court via skype, interview for jobs over video call software and facetime a medical professional at all hours of the night…finally NO. The specifics are yet to come, but the Florida Legislature is upping their game this term and voted 39-0 to send the proposed E-Will Bill to the governor’s desk.
The Bill not only addresses wills, but allows for notaries to utilize video technology to remotely notarize wills and other legal documents. The witnesses and primary parties will all sign live via two-way video. This Bill will make it more feasible for ailing individuals, no matter the age or infirmity, to have access to a notary when mobility may be and issue, and especially when time is not on their side. So often, these are the times when people unfortunately need to make big decisions and fill out legal paperwork warranting a notarial execution.
Obviously, the same strict standards and stringent guidelines will be drafted into the fine print to ensure that vulnerable persons are protected as they are with in-person notaries. One very notable protection already in the bill prohibits the use of video technology to execute documents that would give the holder the ability to amend wills, trusts, estates, etc….also known as “Super Powers of Attorney.” The notaries themselves will be verifying persons identities as they always have with direct lines of questioning and demanding forms of identification that will be confirmed with various online software tools.
To follow the Bill click here House Bill 409