Hotline Tip: Can I Notarize A Document That Has Already Been Signed?

I work in a nursing home, and I have been asked to notarize a power of attorney that a resident has already signed. Do I have to refuse this request, or can the resident re-sign the document while she’s in my presence? - L.P., Allentown, Pennsylvania

It depends on what type of notarization you are being asked to perform and the wording on the certificate. If it’s an acknowledgment, the document does not have to be signed in your presence as long as the signer appears before you with the signed document. However, if the document contains jurat wording, it must be re-signed in your presence.