On April 8, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-41, which allows documents to be witnessed and notarized remotely. As a result, Lumbertown Law can now remotely witness and notarize documents for you!
In order for remotely witnessed and notarized documents to be valid, a few requirements must be met:
We must "meet" with you using two-way, real-time audiovisual technology which allows direct interaction between you, any witnesses and the notary, where all people "present" can communicate simultaneously by sight and sound through an electronic device;
The portion of the "meeting" at which documents are signed must be recorded, and maintained by you or your designee (we can store the recording for you);
Everyone signing or witnessing a document must provide identification during the video conference;
All signatures on the document must be affixed in a "manner that renders any subsequent change or modification of the remote online notarial act to be tamper evident";
The entire signed document must be sent to us by fax, mail or electronic means on the same date it was signed, at which point we must then sign it and return it to you.
Executive Order 2020-41 will allow us to legally sign estate planning documents, contracts and other instruments that have to be witnessed and/or notarized while remaining in our homes. This will ensure that important documents can still be signed, but we can all stay safe and healthy, and decrease the likelihood of spreading COVID-19 any further.
At Lumbertown Law, we are equipped to conduct "meetings" using the required two-way audiovisual technology, and we are prepared to begin using this technology immediately. We can schedule virtual meetings at your convenience. So, as long as you have access to a device that allows you to participate in a video chat, we can witness and/or notarize documents for you today.
There's no longer a need to put off signing your important documents until it is safe to meet in person. Contact us today to learn more!