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Notary and witness services
A notary is an official of integrity appointed by the state government typically by the secretary of state — to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents. These official acts are called notarizations, or notarial acts. Notaries are publicly commissioned as "ministerial" officials, meaning that they are expected to follow written rules without the exercise of significant personal discretion, as would be the case with a "judicial" official. The primary role is to deter fraud in commercial transactions.
Notary and witness services are a method of verifying the authenticity of the document you have received, or of signing documents in person using our notary public service.
What is a witness?
Witness services provide critical support to victims and witnesses of crime. These organizations work with law enforcement and prosecutors to ensure that victims have the resources they need to participate in the criminal justice process. This can include providing emotional support, helping with transportation or child care, and more. Victim advocates work to ensure that victims' voices are heard and that they receive the necessary assistance. If you or someone you know is a victim of crime, witness services may be able to help.
A witness in the legal world is someone who testifies to what they witnessed. This can be an important step in any number of different types of proceedings. For example, if you are involved in a lawsuit or divorce proceeding then you may need witnesses for certain things that happened. Generally speaking, when you go to court, the testimony of witnesses will play an important role in determining how your case progresses and whether or not you win your case. There are many different types of legal documents that use witnesses (officers before whom affidavits or sworn depositions are taken) but affidavits are the most common type.