Your old Vital Records are often useless

It happens two or three times a week.

My clients are positively stunned to discover that their Birth Certificate is useless for the processing they desire. That Birth Certificate is the one that Mom received so long ago. “But it’s the original – how can it be useless” is the most common lament. As a New York Mobile Notary Public I tell them what they need is a newly issued “Certified Copy”. “A copy? – but I have the original, certainly that is better than some copy”. Alas, but they are wrong – and there are several reasons for that reality.

Perhaps the major reason is the nature of their original certificate – issued so long ago. That was a time when photocopiers did not exist, identity theft had not been invented, and the need for information security was epitomized by storage in a safe deposit box. I use a Birth Certificate as an example here. But the same problem applies for many “old” records: Marriage, Divorce, School records, Death certificates and many others. They are just too easy to manipulate with modern computers; graphic software, photocopiers, and color printers. They are all products of our modern era, which did not exist when the documents were issued.

Certified copies, from the vaults keeping the original records are basically photocopies of the same document you have in your possession. However, they are certified with complex and hard to duplicate technology. I have seen “wavy” multicolored seals, embossing, watermarked paper, and other anti-forgery technology used when “certified copies” are issued by various municipal governmental entities. It is that “tamperproof” aspect that makes the newly issued “certified copy” acceptable for modern day use. The content will often be exactly the same as your treasured old original document, only the “packaging” changes.

Kenneth A. Edelstein strongly advises you to take an inventory of your “old” records and apply for modern versions – prior to any personal or “estate” need. The processing time for obtaining these documents can be lengthy. A sudden need, as when you have to show an “acceptable” Birth Certificate to board a cruise ship, is not the time to begin the application process. In my personal opinion, everyone should apply for and have a current passport – the gold standard for identification. That, with a certified copy of your Birth Certificate, again in my personal opinion, is the absolute minimum for personal documentation. However, they are just the starting point. You should review all of your “old” records and have a competent attorney advise you as to which documents should be upgraded to current versions.

You Need an Expert Notary

Why you need an Expert Notary

Think about it, there is practically no service or product that cannot be produced more cheaply, and be offered at a lower price. We all want to monitor our expenses. But sometimes a small savings initially, can result in a large penalty later down the road. I am a professional with the skills and equipment required to process properly, the first time, any situation. A significant part of my work as a New York Mobile Notary Public involves fixing the mistakes of others. Sometimes the mistake is by the notary, other times my client followed the wrong path. The perception of the notarization process is that it is simple and standardized; that is wrong.

Perhaps the worst possible situations are when the notarization is not valid, and the document falls; because it requires notarization. Almost as bad: is when the improper notarization is part of a chain of events, and the next step cannot be accomplished. To the untrained eye, the appearance of a notary stamp and signature – is a notarization. That is not the case, there are several other required components required to make a valid notarization. It seems OK, until a trained eye spots the defect – in a courtroom, at a municipal office, or by an opposing attorney.

On my web site, Kenneth A. Edelstein I describe the necessary components for a proper notarization. The most common faulty notarization is when there is not a prewritten notary section; and the notary only stamps and signs – omitting several state requirements. Even a perfectly executed notarization may be useless. There are many documents which require a far different process – then you signing; and having your signature notarized. One example is the very tightly regulated procedures for the processing of educational documents. In New York State, your signature cannot certify a copy of a transcript, degree, or diploma. The proper procedure is for the notary to verify the Registrar’s letter; on school stationary – which describes the document in detail.

There are many special cases, in addition to educational documents. Wills, Civil Affidavits; Birth, Death & Marriage Certificates – all require knowledge of proper notary procedures. The procedures are not especially complex or hard to follow. It’s just that when notarization is done as a sideline to a person’s main profession – they tend to not keep up with changing requirements. One client told me they reserve me for their important documents, and take the trivial documents to the notary at the bank. I often wonder how this person determines the trivial from the important. Generally, if it requires notarization – it’s probably important that it be processed correctly – the first time.