Lawyer as Notary Public
Adopted: January 18, 2001
Opinion rules that a lawyer acting as a notary must follow the law when acknowledging a signature on a document.
Inquiry #1:
Prior to 1999, Attorney H represented the co-executors of the SL Estate. During the administration of the SL Estate, Attorney H failed to repair a deed to convey certain real property located in South Carolina to a trust that was created by SL. In October 1999, this oversight was detected and Attorney H agreed to reopen the estate. On October 28, 1999, the co-executors delivered to Attorney H's office the original petition requesting the estate to be reopened. The co-executors had signed the petition but neglected to have their signatures notarized. Thereafter, Attorney H notarized the petition himself, although he had not witnessed either of the co-executors sign the document and neither had acknowledged his signature on the petition to Attorney H. Attorney H was familiar with both co-executors' signatures, however, and the co-executors did in fact sign the petition.
Gen. Stat. §10A-3(1) provides that "acknowledgment" of a signature on a document is "a notorial act in which a notary certifies that a signer, whose identity is personally known to the notary or proven on the basis of satisfactory evidence, has admitted, in the notary's presence, having signed a document voluntarily." It is believed that this provision of Chapter 10A is widely ignored. Did Attorney H's conduct violate the Revised Rules of Professional Conduct?
Opinion #1:
Yes, compliance with the law is the most basic requirement of professional responsibility. Although convenience and "common practice" might suggest shortcuts are appropriate, a lawyer serving as a notary must comply with the legal requirements for proper acknowledgment of a document. See Rule 8.4(a) and (d).
Inquiry #2:
Would the answer to inquiry #1 be different if Attorney H merely directed an employee to notarize the document instead of doing it himself?
Opinion #2:
No. See Rule 8.4(a) prohibiting a lawyer from violating the Revised Rules of Professional Conduct through the acts of another.